InterDigital files patent infringement cases against Xiaomi (小米集团) in Delhi High Court

  • R&D firm InterDigital has filed two patent infringement cases against Xiaomi in India
  • The concerned patents are related to 3G/ 4G network performance and video decoding and picture quality
  • The company is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for Xiaomi’s infringement of the patents
  • This is the second time Xiaomi has been sued for Patent Infringement in India, previous lawsuits were settled with Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson

InterDigital, a Delaware, US based mobile and video technology company, has filed two patent infringement cases against Xiaomi in the Delhi high court in July 2020. InterDigital alleges unauthorized use of five cellular 3G and 4G patents and three H.265/HEVC (high efficiency video coding) patents by the Chinese phone maker.

Patents under contention

  1. InterDigital’s Indian patents on the cellular side that are in contention include solutions which enhance utilization of cellular resources for applications (such as VoIP) which require continuous allocations of uplink resources. The other patents allow mobile phone users quick and efficient access to 4G (LTE) networks and reduce power consumption by selectively switching the handset’s LTE modem to sleep mode.
  • The patents related to videos include an enhanced video decoder, which reduces the network resources required to deliver videos while reducing the memory needed to store videos on the handset, resulting in improved video streaming experience. The other solution enhances picture quality for a decoded video by providing a series of filters.

InterDigital claims it has been in negotiation with Xiaomi for years and filed the case after they couldn’t reach an agreement.

In an order passed in this matter towards the Interim Injunction sought by Interdigital, Judge in the Delhi High Court is of the view that given the extremely technical nature of the controversy involved, it would be appropriate that a response to this application be obtained from the defendant before the application is taken up on merits.

The matter is thus postponed to 29th September 2020 for next Hearing. Meanwhile, as per the Delhi High Court Rules, a confidentiality club is also being constituted. When parties to a commercial suit wish to rely on documents/ information that are commercially or otherwise confidential in nature, the Court constitutes a Confidentiality Club so as to allow limited access to such documents/ information.

The US company is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Xiaomi along with an injunction to prevent further infringement in India, unless Xiaomi agrees to a FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, And Non- Discriminatory) license determined by the court.

William J. Merritt, president and CEO, InterDigital in a statement said: “Wireless and video standards play the important role of eliminating barriers to entry, enabling new companies like Xiaomi to enter the market and have success despite having made no investment in previous wireless research activities. Advanced research drives key wireless and video standards, and fair licenses with companies that make use of those technologies enable companies like InterDigital to reinvest in still more research, benefiting all users and the industry at large”

References:

  1. InterDigital files patent infringement lawsuit against Xiaomi in India, https://www.deccanherald.com/business/interdigital-files-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-xiaomi-in-india-867688.html
  2. InterDigital files two patent infringement complaint against Xiaomi in India, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/interdigital-files-patent-infringement-complaint-against-xiaomi-in-india/articleshow/77269341.cms
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