On May 27, 2025, UPC’s Mannheim Local Division issued its first anti-anti-suit injunction (AASI) against Disney. The court ordered that Disney must not seek any anti-suit injunctions (ASIs) that would interfere with the assertion or enforcement of patent rights before the UPC. Disney is required to withdraw any such pending applications and is prohibited from initiating any legal proceedings based on them. Failure to comply may result in a daily fine of €250,000.

Since February this year, InterDigital (IDC) has initiated enforcement actions over its multimedia standard essential patents (SEPs) against Disney and its subsidiaries, Hulu and ESPN+, in multiple jurisdictions. Courts currently involved include the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the State Court of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the Munich I Regional Court in Germany, and the UPC’s Mannheim and Düsseldorf Local Divisions. The asserted patents include EP 2 465 265, EP 3 259 902, EP 2 080 349, and EP 2 449 782.

On May 28, Judge Wesley L. Hsu of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied two motions: one filed by InterDigital seeking dismissal of Disney’s FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory)counterclaim in the U.S., and another filed by Disney requesting an ASI to prevent InterDigital from enforcing the injunction granted in Brazil.

It is also reported that InterDigital has filed for an AASI before the Munich I Regional Court, with a decision expected soon. The ongoing global litigation reflects an escalating legal battle between the two parties across multiple jurisdictions.