InterDigital Secures Brazilian Court Injunction Barring TCL HEVC Devices

InterDigital was awarded a preliminary injunction against TCL by a Brazilian court over HEVC technology, the company announced on October 27, 2026. The 3rd Business Court of the Judicial District of the Capital of Rio de Janeiro found TCL infringes the two patents-in-suit and that InterDigital's offers met its fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory obligations. GlobeNewswire carried the announcement.

Rio Court Backs InterDigital's HEVC Patents

InterDigital is a Wilmington-based research and development company founded in 1972 that licenses wireless, video and AI technologies, including to makers of consumer electronics. The Rio court adopted the findings of an independent expert report it commissioned, which supported InterDigital's position that the patents are essential to the HEVC standard.

In finding that InterDigital complied with its FRAND obligations, the court noted TCL's offers were lower by "a different order of magnitude." Under the ruling, TCL must refrain from implementing the HEVC standard in devices it manufactures, imports or offers for sale in Brazil.

"InterDigital is widely recognized as one of the leading contributors to the HEVC codec which has become such a vital part of how video content is encoded and then decoded on devices like TCL's," said Josh Schmidt, Chief Legal Officer of InterDigital. "We welcome the Rio court's decision and call on TCL to take a license, like its competitors, that fairly values our portfolio."

InterDigital's Licensing Scale

According to akta.pro company records, InterDigital reported $834.0 million in FY2025 near-record revenue, including $678.9 million in smartphone revenue and $277.4 million in catch-up revenue from Samsung, OPPO and Lenovo license agreements. The same records show Q1 2026 record annualized recurring revenue of $567.2 million, up 13% year-over-year, with smartphone ARR reaching a record $491.8 million.

Earlier Rulings In InterDigital's Licensing Disputes

In October 2026, the UK Court of Appeal ruled in the ongoing Lenovo v InterDigital case, setting a patent royalty rate of 22.5 US cents per unit, only 6.5 cents above Lenovo's trial argument, AETOSWire reported. Earlier that month, a California federal judge denied Dolby's motion to invalidate an InterDigital video patent in a Disney streaming infringement suit, leaving the patent intact, according to Law360. In September 2026, InterDigital persuaded a Delaware federal judge to pause Disney's antitrust lawsuit accusing it of refusing to offer reasonable licenses on video streaming patents, Law360 reported.

What Comes Next In Brazil

The Rio ruling requires TCL to stop implementing HEVC in devices manufactured, imported or offered for sale in Brazil. InterDigital's announcement calls on TCL to take a license.