Context:
- As a result of its video patent licensing dispute with InterDigital, Disney has alienated some of its German customers by switching off Dolby Vision and other premium features (January 23, 2026 ip fray article). That deactivation followed
- Pressure is mounting on Disney as InterDigital secured a second UPC injunction last week (July 23, 2026 ip fray article).
- But video streamers, unlike device makers, are often resilient and respond to injunctions by switching off features (May 17, 2026 ip fray article).
What’s new: Disney’s disablement of features and degradation of service quality has reached unprecedented heights. According to German mainstream media reports, Disney has deactivated 4K and HDR video quality for all of its German customers, following the latest UPC injunction. Given the 11-country scope of the UPC injunction, customers in 10 more countries may be impacted as well.
Direct impact: Consumer protection laws entitle customers to refunds. Disney may rely on strong brand loyalty and an audience that is captive to its iconic franchises, but this situation is not sustainable for the long run. Disney may have to settle if it fails to get the UPC injunction(s) stayed.
Wider ramifications: Disney demonstrates that it is anything but a soft target, but if it ultimately has to settle, the downside of having degraded the quality of its offerings may outweigh the benefits of having stood firm.
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).