📰 New article from TorrentFreak
Hollywood Warns: ‘Extortionary’ Codec Patent Fees Could Hike Streaming Subscription Prices
Hollywood’s got a new enemy—and it’s not pirates. It’s the patent troll behind your favorite streaming shows.
InterDigital, a company with 10,000+ video codec patents (yes, those H.264 and H.265 ones that make your Netflix binges possible), is suing Disney and Amazon for using tech they claim wasn’t properly licensed. But here’s the twist: device makers like Samsung and Sony already paid for these patents to build your TV. Now InterDigital wants streaming services to pay again—for the same video.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA), usually the guy screaming “PIRACY IS CRIME!” just dropped a fiery amicus brief calling this a “global holdup campaign.” Double-dipping? More like triple-dipping—while charging you $18/month for Squid Game.
The MPA’s warning? If InterDigital wins, your subscription bills will rise. Streaming platforms can’t just switch to “non-standard” codecs—your phone, TV, and tablet all rely on H.264/H.265. It’s like demanding you pay tolls twice to drive down the same highway.
Disney’s fighting back with antitrust claims, and courts in Delaware, Germany, and Brazil are now weighing whether InterDigital’s tactics cross the line from smart business to extortion.
Bottom line: The real pirates might not be torrent users—they’re the ones trying to monetize the infrastructure we all depend on. And you? You’re just getting the bill.