Dolby sues Roku over technology in streaming software

Dolby Laboratories

01/08/2024 23:32

By Blake Brittain
       Aug 1 (Reuters) - Dolby Laboratories  DLB.N  sued
streaming-video company Roku  ROKU.O  in California federal
court on Thursday, accusing Roku of breaking a license and
infringing its patents and copyrights by integrating Dolby's
technology into its operating system Roku OS.
    San Francisco-based Dolby said in the lawsuit that Roku
secretly distributed millions of copies of Dolby's audio and
imaging software without complying with the terms of the
companies' agreement.
    Dolby said Roku misused its technology to make its products
"more attractive to potential customers" and increase its
profits at Dolby's expense. The lawsuit said that Roku's
streaming platform accounted for nearly $3 billion of its annual
revenue in 2023. 
    Spokespeople for Roku did not immediately respond to a
request for comment on the complaint. An attorney for Dolby said
the company had no comment. 
    Dolby said that the companies signed a license agreement in
2015 solely for Roku to test Dolby software's interoperability
with Roku's systems. The complaint said the companies agreed in
2016 that Roku could distribute Dolby's software under certain
conditions, including after paying royalties and complying with
Dolby's quality testing and reporting requirements.
    The lawsuit said that Roku secretly incorporated Dolby's
intellectual property in its software at least between 2016 and
2020, lied to Dolby about its use of the technology and refused
to cooperate with an audit. 
    Dolby asked the court for an unspecified amount of monetary
damages and an order blocking Roku's alleged misconduct.
    
    The case is Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp v. Roku Inc,
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No.
3:24-cv-04660.
    For Dolby: Charles Correll, Sam Diamant, Shane Brun and
Bruce Baber of King & Spalding
    For Roku: attorney information not yet available

 (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington)
 ((blake.brittain@tr.com; +1 (202) 938-5713;))