Alphabet’s Google has been ordered to pay $15.1 million to patent holding company Personal Audio for violating two audio software patents. The verdict was delivered by a Delaware federal jury and made public on Wednesday (June 21). The jury found that Google willfully infringed the patents, which could result in the award being tripled by the judge.
Personal Audio argued that Google Play Music, the company’s music app, included features such as playlist downloading, navigation, and editing that violated its patent rights.
In response to the verdict, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda expressed disappointment and stated that the company intends to appeal. He emphasized that the verdict relates to a “discontinued product” and will not impact customers.
Patent holding company Personal Audio, based in Texas, had initially sought $33.1 million in damages in a court filing from May. The lawsuit against Google over the patents was originally filed in 2015 in Texas but was later transferred to Delaware. Google had requested a stay before filing a responsive pleading, and the stay remained in effect until January 12, 2017.
The verdict in Delaware was delivered shortly after a San Francisco jury ordered Google to pay Sonos $32.5 million for patent infringement. This ruling was part of a broader dispute between the two companies involving smart-speaker technology and intellectual property.
