Context: Disney and InterDigital have been embroiled in global litigation over several video codec standard-essential patents (SEPs) since February 2025 (February 2025, ip fray article). Disney was forced to alienate some of its German customers by switching off Dolby Vision and other premium features (January 23, 2026 ip fray article) after the Munich I Regional Court issued an injunction against it last year (November 21, 2025 ip fray article). And, following a second injunction, this time issued by the UPC’s Düsseldorf Local Division (LD) last month (July 23, 2026 ip fray article), Disney deactivated its 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) and High Dynamic Range (HDR) video quality for all of its German customers (July 28, 2026 ip fray article). This latest deactivation was even more significant given the 11-country scope of the UPC’s injunction, and that it meant even premium subscribers (who pay €15.99 a month) could only watch films and series in a maximum resolution of 1080p and SDR.
What’s new: Disney+ is now streaming 4K again in Germany, using “an alternative technology solution” that includes VP9 on devices (such as the Fire TV Cubes), according to local German media outlets. The company has also reportedly begun restoring 4K UHD support on Disney+ Premium in Germany. Disney is working to extend support to more devices and to restore the missing HDR as quickly as possible, it reportedly has added.
Direct impact: While this is a good temporary solution for German Disney customers, HDR is still pending, and there is no indication of when it will return. The workaround cannot avoid the HDR patents. This means that premium users will continue to only get a proportion of added benefits (all of HDR and 4K on many devices) – and the Lower Saxony Consumer Center (a consumer group in Germany) has already said it will be looking into legal options.
Wider ramifications: Further, the workaround can only succeed long-term if InterDigital does not enforce its VP9 patents. The patentee holds a vast portfolio of foundational video compression patents and was not a participant in Google’s original WebM Project or the standardization of VP9, so it has no obligations. VP9 is also covered by Access Advance’s VDP pool and Avanci Video.
Disney has proven repeatedly that it will not cave in to pressure from injunctions. Unlike device makers, it responds to such actions by switching off features (May 17, 2026 ip fray article).
However, as noted by streaming consultant Jan Ozer, Disney cannot continue to charge a premium without providing the key features – whether it can forgo 4K/HDR “is in doubt” (July 31, 2026 LinkedIn post by Jan Ozer). When Amazon faced the same consequences last year, it eventually yielded and settled with Nokia (March 31, 2025 ip fray article), before licensing InterDigital’s video-compression and HDR portfolio a couple of months ago (June 12, 2026 ip fray article).
Mr. Ozer notes that this may be the first “major pushback” against these streaming-related royalties – but it could also just be Disney struggling to figure out the best way forward.
Court and counsel
Panel: Presiding Judge Ronny Thomas, Judge Jule Schumacher, Judge Mojca Mlakar, and Technically Qualified Judge Dennis Kretschmann.
InterDigital is being represented by Arnold Ruess’s (ip fray firm profile) Dr. Arno Risse (“Riße”) and Cordula Schumacher, as well as df-mp’s (ip fray firm profile) David Molnia, Dominik Ho, Matthias Duda, Roland Pültz, and Jakob Benedict Dandl.
Meanwhile, Disney is being represented by Dr. Dietrich Burkhard Kamlah of Pentarc (ip fray firm profile).