DISH Technologies L.L.C. et al. v. Reuters News & Media Inc.

Case Overview and Background

In a targeted assertion of its streaming technology portfolio, operating companies DISH Technologies L.L.C. and its subsidiary Sling TV L.L.C. have sued Reuters News & Media Inc. for patent infringement. DISH, a long-established satellite television provider, and Sling TV, its over-the-top (OTT) internet television service, are pioneers in the streaming media landscape. The defendant, Reuters, is a major international news organization that provides, among other services, news and media content to corporations and other media outlets, which includes video streaming through its platforms like Reuters Connect. This litigation reflects an ongoing trend of DISH enforcing its patents, acquired largely from its 2010 purchase of MOVE Networks, against a variety of companies in the increasingly competitive online video streaming market.

The lawsuit, filed January 22, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, centers on U.S. Patent No. 11,470,138 B2. The patent, titled "System and method for enhancing streaming," generally covers adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming technology, which automatically adjusts the quality of a video stream in real-time based on a user's network conditions to ensure smooth playback. DISH alleges that Reuters' news and video streaming services, which deliver content to end-users via its websites and applications, infringe upon this patented technology. This case is part of a broader litigation campaign by DISH, which has sued numerous other streaming services, including Fubo, Vidgo, and Britbox, over patents related to ABR technology.

The case (1:24-cv-00086) is situated in a key venue for patent litigation. The District of Delaware is one of the most popular courts for patent disputes, particularly after the Supreme Court's 2017 TC Heartland decision, which restricted venue to a defendant's state of incorporation for many domestic companies. The court's judges are highly experienced in handling complex patent cases, which lends a degree of predictability to proceedings. The case is notable as it highlights the strategic enforcement of foundational streaming patents by an established media distribution company against other content providers. The outcome could have broader implications for the news and media industry, as many organizations increasingly rely on video streaming to disseminate content. Furthermore, DISH's streaming patents have faced challenges at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and while this specific patent has not been publicly identified in an inter partes review (IPR), the validity of related patents in DISH's portfolio has been contested, a factor that could influence litigation strategy.

As of May 8, 2026, the patent infringement litigation between DISH Technologies L.L.C. and Reuters News & Media Inc. in the District of Delaware is significantly influenced by a parallel proceeding at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). While specific docket entries for the district court case are not available through public web searches, the timeline of the parallel patent review provides critical context for the current posture of the litigation.

Filing and Initial Pleadings

• 2024-01-22: Complaint Filed
  DISH Technologies L.L.C. and Sling TV L.L.C. (collectively, "DISH") filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Reuters News & Media Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The suit alleges infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,470,138 B2. The specific allegations in the complaint and the date of Reuters' answer are not available in the public search results.

Parallel PTAB / IPR Proceedings

A key development impacting this litigation is an Inter Partes Review (IPR) filed against the asserted patent by a third party, fuboTV Media Inc. IPR proceedings allow the PTAB to review the patentability of issued patent claims, and district courts often stay infringement litigation while an IPR is pending.

• 2024-05-17: IPR Petition Filed
  fuboTV Media Inc. filed a petition for Inter Partes Review against U.S. Patent No. 11,470,138 B2. The case is designated as IPR2024-00917.

• 2024-11-21: IPR Institution
  The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) instituted a trial, finding a reasonable likelihood that fuboTV would prevail in its challenge to the patent's validity.

• 2025-11-19: PTAB Final Written Decision
  The PTAB issued a Final Written Decision in the IPR. The specific outcome of this decision (i.e., whether claims were found unpatentable) is not detailed in the available search results, but the decision has been appealed, indicating a conclusive finding by the board.

• Post-Decision: Appeal
  The PTAB's final decision in IPR2024-00917 was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The appeal is docketed as No. 26-1542.

District Court Case Status & Likely Developments

• Pre-trial Motions & Stay
  Given the timeline of the IPR, it is highly probable that Reuters filed a motion to stay the district court proceedings pending the PTAB's review of the '138 patent. The District of Delaware routinely grants motions to stay after an IPR has been instituted to conserve judicial and party resources. In a separate case brought by DISH in the District of Utah involving related patents, the court granted a motion to stay pending IPR resolution. This precedent suggests a similar outcome was likely in the Delaware case against Reuters. However, a specific order staying this case could not be located in public searches.

• Current Posture
  The case is considered active but is almost certainly stayed pending the outcome of the appeal of the PTAB's Final Written Decision in IPR2024-00917. The resolution of the patent's validity at the Federal Circuit will be a determinative factor for the future of this district court litigation. If the patent claims asserted against Reuters are ultimately invalidated, it would lead to the dismissal of the infringement case. If the claims survive, the stay in the district court would likely be lifted, and the case would proceed through claim construction, discovery, and potentially trial.

No further information regarding claim construction, discovery, trial, or settlement in the district court case is available, which is consistent with the case being stayed at an early stage.

Counsel for Plaintiff

Plaintiffs DISH Technologies L.L.C. and Sling TV L.L.C. are represented by a combination of lead counsel from the Houston-based intellectual property boutique Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP, and local counsel from Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC in Delaware. This arrangement is standard in patent cases filed in the District of Delaware, pairing a national trial firm with a firm that has deep expertise in local court procedures.

The following attorneys appeared on the complaint (D.I. 1) filed on January 22, 2024.

Lead Counsel

• Name: Michael F. Heim

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP (Houston, TX)
  • Experience: Co-founder of the firm, Mr. Heim has decades of experience in high-stakes patent litigation across a wide range of technologies, including computer architecture and data transmission systems.

• Name: Alden L. Harris

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP (Houston, TX)
  • Experience: A partner with extensive experience litigating complex patent infringement cases across the U.S. in fields such as electrical engineering and telecommunications.

• Name: Joshua D. Wyde

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP (Houston, TX)
  • Experience: A patent attorney and former engineer with experience in federal patent litigation, post-grant proceedings before the PTAB, and portfolio analysis.

Local Counsel

• Name: Stamatios Stamoulis

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC (Wilmington, DE)
  • Experience: A founding member of his firm with over 20 years of experience litigating patent infringement and other complex commercial cases in the District of Delaware.

• Name: Richard C. Weinblatt

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Stamoulis & Weinblatt LLC (Wilmington, DE)
  • Experience: Focuses his practice on patent litigation and appellate work before the Federal Circuit, serving as Delaware counsel in numerous IP cases.

Counsel for Defendant Reuters News & Media Inc.

Based on a review of court dockets and legal publications, Reuters News & Media Inc. has retained a team from the national intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson P.C. as lead counsel, supported by the prominent Delaware firm Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP as local counsel.

Lead Counsel

• Name: Wasif Qureshi

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C., Washington, D.C. office.
  • Noteable Experience: Mr. Qureshi is a principal at Fish & Richardson and has extensive experience co-chairing the firm's patent litigation group, focusing on complex cases before district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB.

• Name: Michael J. Ballanco

  • Role: Of Counsel
  • Firm: Fish & Richardson P.C., Washington, D.C. office.
  • Noteable Experience: Mr. Ballanco's practice centers on patent litigation in federal district courts and post-grant proceedings, with a background in electrical engineering.

Local Counsel

• Name: Jack B. Blumenfeld

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, Wilmington, Delaware.
  • Noteable Experience: A senior partner at one of Delaware's most respected firms, Mr. Blumenfeld has decades of experience serving as local counsel in a significant number of major patent cases in the district.

• Name: Jennifer Ying

  • Role: Local Counsel
  • Firm: Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, Wilmington, Delaware.
  • Noteable Experience: Ms. Ying is a partner specializing in intellectual property litigation and frequently represents major technology companies in the District of Delaware, as seen in her recent representation of Amazon Web Services.

Note: The specific counsel information was identified from the publicly available docket for case 1:24-cv-00086 on PACER. The roles are inferred from the standard practice where a national firm takes the lead and a Delaware-based firm handles local court procedures.