Nokia Launches Multinational Lawsuit Over Streaming Patents

Nokia filed lawsuits on three continents against Amazon for the alleged unauthorized use of its video-related technologies in streaming services and across devices. Arvin Patel, chief licensing officer for new segments at Nokia, said the lawsuits were filed in the US, Germany, India, the UK, and the European Unified Patent court.

Patel explained that Amazon Prime Video and its streaming devices infringe multimedia patents covering multiple technologies including video compression, content delivery, content recommendation, and aspects related to hardware. Nokia separately filed cases in the US against HP for the unauthorized use of patented video-related technologies in its devices.

Patel noted litigation was never Nokia’s first choice when it came to patent infringements, adding it had been in discussions with Amazon and HP for several years but sometimes legal action is sometimes the only way to respond to companies who choose not to play by the rules. He argued companies providing video streaming services or devices enjoy huge benefits from the R&D of Nokia and other companies. “Nokia is seeking compensation for the use of these key inventions, royalties which we will reinvest, along with substantial amounts of additional investment, in the development of next-generation multimedia technology.”