HD Radio broadcasters and OEMs sued for patent infringement

In what is widely interpreted a patent trolling, some radio broadcasters using HD digital transmission technology (HD Radio) alongside their analog signals are being sued by Delaware Radio Technologies and Wyncomm LLC for patent infringement. The spate of lawsuits has recently expanded to auto companies which build HD radios into their cars.

The lawsuit targets on the radio side are reportedly large broadcasters, lending credence to the trolling theory, as that strategy often aims for a deep-pocketed settlement. HD Radio technology developer iBiquity is not named in the filings. 

RAIN spoke to iBiquity CEO Bob Struble, who cited company policy against commenting on litigation matters, but offered: “We are aware of [the lawsuits] and are working closely with broadcasters and automakers on them.”

Brad Hill