The parties and the patents
The case is Multimedia Technologies Pte. Ltd. v. Walmart Inc., No. 2:26-cv-00912 (E.D. Tex.). The complaint describes Multimedia as a Singapore company and Walmart as a Delaware corporation based in Bentonville, Arkansas. The asserted patents are U.S. Patents 9,820,003 (Application Panel Manager, issued November 14, 2017) and 9,185,324 (Sourcing EPG Data, issued November 10, 2015). The complaint says both came out of Jamdeo, a smart TV venture that Flextronics and Hisense formed in about January 2012, and that Flextronics AP, LLC assigned them to Multimedia on or about December 15, 2022 as part of a broader patent purchase.
What the asserted claims cover
Claim 17 of the '003 patent covers stored instructions that cause an intelligent TV to display live TV content, detect a request to invoke an application panel based on a selection of an application panel button on a remote control, and, in response, detect the displayed content and determine its type, which the claim says is at least one of an application and a video on demand. The instructions display the panel over at least a portion of the displayed content and detect context information based on the content type and the panel's location along at least one edge of the display. The panel is associated with a silo, at least one of a Live TV silo, an on-demand silo, and an applications silo. The information shown in the panel is determined from both the displayed content and the context information and includes one or more of an information portion, a new portion, a recommended portion, a genre portion, an electronic program guide, a category portion, a favorites portion, and a search portion.
Claim 17 of the '324 patent covers stored instructions that perform the steps of claim 1, a method of managing electronic programming guide (EPG) information for an intelligent TV. The TV executes two or more EPG source plug-ins. A first plug-in polls, through a network, a first EPG source associated with digital television EPG information, and for an EPG source with no updated EPG information, the EPG information from that source is associated with dummy EPG data, either a plain channel listing or a standard label in an EPG time slot. A second plug-in polls a second EPG source associated with cloud-stored EPG information. Updated information is retrieved from each source when available, and the polling step, the retrieving step, or both are activated after a channel scanning operation by the TV. The updated information from both sources is aggregated, and a relevant portion is provided to an application of the TV.
The Vizio history and the accused products
According to the complaint, Multimedia sued Vizio, Inc. in the Eastern District of Texas on March 24, 2023 on smart TV patents acquired from Flextronics. Walmart announced an agreement to acquire Vizio on or about February 20, 2024 and completed the acquisition on or about December 3, 2024. On or about December 1, 2025, Multimedia sent Walmart a written notice identifying Onn smart TVs as products of concern and also provided an attachment listing its smart TV patents that expressly identified the '003 and '324 patents. On or about December 22, 2025, the complaint says, Multimedia and Walmart entered into a license agreement in connection with the resolution of the Vizio suit; it alleges that the confidential agreement did not license the two patents for Onn TVs or streaming devices that do not use the Vizio platform.
Count I alleges that the Onn Google TV products infringe the '003 patent, Count II alleges that the same products infringe the '324 patent, and Count III alleges that the Onn Roku TVs infringe the '003 patent. Each count quotes claim 17 and alleges infringement of at least that claim, and each pleads direct, induced, and contributory infringement. The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that Walmart's infringement was willful, saying Walmart knew of the patents by the end of 2025 and has continued to infringe since. The prayer asks for damages with interest, a willfulness finding and trebled damages under 35 U.S.C. 284, supplemental damages, and fees under 35 U.S.C. 285. It does not ask for an injunction.
What to watch next
Watch for Walmart's response, including any defense based on the December 2025 license, and for any inter partes review petitions on the two patents. The case can end at any time by settlement or dismissal.