Alphabet's Google must pay patent holding company Personal Audio LLC $15.1 million for infringing two patents related to audio software, a Delaware federal jury said in a verdict made public on Wednesday.
Personal Audio had argued that Google's music app Google
Play Music featured playlist downloading, navigation and editing features that
violated its patent rights.
The jury also said that Google infringed the patents
willfully, which could lead to a judge increasing the award by up to three
times the verdict amount.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said on Wednesday that
the company was disappointed with the verdict and plans to appeal. He said the
verdict concerns a "discontinued product" and would not affect
customers.
A spokesperson for Personal Audio's law firm Stradling Yocca
Carlson & Rauth said on Wednesday that the firm was pleased with the
verdict.
Beaumont, Texas-based Personal Audio had requested $33.1
million in damages, according to a May
court filing. It first sued Google in 2015 over the patents in a lawsuit that
was later moved from Texas to Delaware.
The Delaware verdict came less than a month after a San
Francisco jury ordered Google to pay Sonos $32.5 million for patent
infringement amid a sprawling intellectual property dispute between the
companies over smart-speaker technology.
The case is Personal Audio LLC vs Google LLC, US District
Court for the District of Delaware, No. 1:17-cv-01751. © Reuters