Velos Media Takes Action Against TikTok Over Unlicensed HEVC patents
June 24, 2025——Velos Media LLC filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in the W.D.Tex, alleging infringement of multiple H.265 (HEVC) patents. The complaint targets six U.S. patents, including:
US 11,627,338: "Significance map encoding and decoding using partition selection"
US 9,008,184: "Multiple sign bit hiding within a transform unit"(Blackberry)
US 12,186,395: "Multiple sign bit hiding within a transform unit"
US 8,964,849: "Multi-level significance maps for encoding and decoding"(Blackberry)
US 12,088,843: "Method for deriving a motion vector"
US 12,341,962: "Multi-level significance maps for encoding and decoding"
Notably, the last patent (US 12,341,962) was officially issued on the same day as the lawsuit (June 24, 2025), highlighting a strategic timing in Velos Media’s enforcement strategy. The patents relate to video compression technologies essential to H.265, a standard used in TikTok’s video streaming infrastructure.
Velos Media complaint that:
Velos attempted to engage in substantive licensing negotiations by offering to execute a reasonable non-disclosure agreement with TikTok.
TikTok declined to enter into the non-disclosure agreement proposed by Velos. Instead, TikTok proposed onerous and unreasonable terms to the non-disclosure agreement that were unacceptable.
TikTok has provided no indication that it is willing to take a license on RAND terms to Velos’ video coding patents.
TikTok received an offer to take a license that would cover the Velos’ video coding patents, including the Asserted Patents, on RAND terms and conditions.
Velos Media also found that TikTok has engaged in discussions with Avanci Video, which acted on Velos’ behalf.