AV1’s open, royalty-free promise in question as Dolby sues Snapchat over codec

Dolby has filed a lawsuit over AV1, and InterDigital is also suing, alleging some Amazon Fire streaming devices infringe its patents by supporting the codec.

The outcomes of Dolby’s and InterDigital’s cases could influence how widely AV1 is adopted.

If a court rules Dolby is not obligated to license patents used by AV1, that decision could have major consequences for the standard.

HEVC’s key patent holders made FRAND pledges, whereas AV1 may have many essential patent holders without FRAND obligations.

EU regulators probed AOMedia’s licensing policy in 2022 and closed the inquiry in 2023 without finding compliance or non-compliance; Mueller warns someone could demand prohibitive royalties to discourage AV1 use.