InterDigital files patent infringement cases against Xiaomi in Delhi HC

The complaint involves infringement of five of InterDigital's cellular 3G and 4G Indian patents and unauthorised use of three of InterDigital’s H.265/HEVC Indian patents.
Xiaomi mobiles (Photo | EPS)
Xiaomi mobiles (Photo | EPS)

NEW DELHI: The US-based mobile and video technology R&D company, InterDigital Inc, has filed two patent infringement actions in the Delhi High Court against smartphone maker Xiaomi. 

The complaint involves infringement of five of InterDigital's cellular 3G and 4G Indian patents and unauthorised use of three of InterDigital’s H.265/HEVC Indian patents by the Chinese electronics company, which now dominates India's smartphone market.

According to InterDigital, the claims were filed after years of negotiations with Xiaomi and after the US company made clear that it is willing to resolve the terms of a FRAND  (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) license through binding arbitration. 

"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," said William J Merritt, President and CEO. 

The company further added that the patents highlighted in the complaint are based on InterDigital's R&D efforts over the years. In the proceedings, InterDigital is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Xiaomi along with an injunction to prevent further infringement in India, unless Xiaomi agrees to a FRAND license determined by the court. 

“We're hopeful that this record of research and licensing success, coupled with this claim in the Delhi High Court, will result in a fair license, and that Xiaomi will join Samsung, Apple, Huawei and many others as customers of InterDigital,” he added. 

Patents in the first complaint include solutions related to High-Speed Uplink Packet Access, minimisation of the overhead signalling, quick and efficient access to 4G (LTE) networks, and ones enabling reduced power consumption by selectively switching the mobile phone’s LTE modem between the sleep and awake modes. 

The Indian patents asserted in the H.265/HEVC action include patents related to an enhanced video decoder that helps in managing data during video streaming, resulting in improved video streaming experience. The other invention enhances picture quality for a decoded video by providing a series of filters and reducing noise. 

"H.265/HEVC reflects the world-class R&D of the company’s Research and Innovation Unit in video coding technologies, which was integrated into InterDigital’s research team after being acquired from Technicolor in 2019," the company said in a statement.
 

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