Interview: International IP Attorney Robert J.L. Moore Discusses Video Codec IP and Patent Monetisation Issues
In this recent interview with attorney Robert Moore of Moore IP solutions, we explore a range of topics related to video codec intellectual property issues and patent monetisation, two constantly moving targets. We start by reviewing the impact of the Broadcom vs. Netflix lawsuit in Germany, where Broadcom obtained an injunction preventing Netflix from delivering HEVC-compliant bit streams in Germany. This is one of the first suits concluding that streaming video encoded in a standards-compliant bitstreams violates the associated patents, and its impact could be seismic.
Then we segue to the Nokia vs. Amazon and HP lawsuit in the US, where Nokia also claims that delivering H.264 and HEVC compliant bitstreams violates its patents, which could set a similar precedent in the US.
These court cases on content-related royalties led us to the Avanci video pool, which is claiming royalties on content encoded with HEVC, AV1, VP9, and VVC, though the lack of a licensee list on the Avanci website suggests that they’ve converted few, if any, licensees. The big question here is whether the other pools will stand by and watch their pool members join the Avanci pool to chase content-related revenue, or create their own content-pools.
Next is a discussion of the new IP regulations in the European Union and the impact they may have on global strategies for patent monetisation and enforcement. We conclude by discussing a little-known licensing agreement between RPX and Sisvel that should sheds even more doubt regarding claims that AV1 is royalty free. Overall, the interview is a great way to catch up on most of the key codec-related issues facing streaming publishers in 2024 and beyond.
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