TikTok escalates patent fight with Triller as battle for future of Chinese short video hit in US continues

ByteDance is in talks to sell parts of its TikTok unit in a deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars

Triller’s allegations against TikTok and its users ‘cast a cloud’ over ByteDance’s business, according to the complaint

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A showdown over the Trump administration’s attempt to ban TikTok, which a federal judge temporarily blocked in late September, is slated for a December 14 argument in the US Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:29am, 29 Oct 2020Updated: 9:29am, 29 Oct 2020

TikTok and its parent ByteDance have sued rival Triller, asking a US judge to clear up a “cloud” over the China-based popular video-streaming app after Triller accused it of stealing technology.

ByteDance is in talks to sell parts of its TikTok unit in a deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars after President Donald Trump moved to ban its US operations over national security concerns.

The case filed Wednesday in San Francisco federal court is a response to a patent-infringement suit Triller filed against ByteDance in late July in Waco, Texas, a hub for complaints by patent owners looking for a friendly judge and quick litigation.

Triller Chief Executive Officer Mike Wu fired back, saying “we may be small, but we have right on our side.’

“TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have been infringing on Triller’s patents and stealing its technology for many years – enriching themselves and their investors at Triller’s expense,” he said in an emailed statement. “This is nothing more than a transparent attempt by a Chinese conglomerate with tens of thousands employees to manipulate the US legal system by not responding to Triller’s complaint or answering for their violations.”

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.