$15 Million Verdict Against Google in US Trial Over Audio Patents

A public verdict made by a federal jury in Delaware has ruled that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, must pay $15.1 million to patent holding company Personal Audio LLC for infringing on two patents related to audio software. Personal Audio claimed that Google Play Music, the company’s music app, included features such as playlist downloading, navigation, and editing that violated its patent rights.

The jury also found that Google willfully infringed the patents, which means that a judge could potentially increase the awarded amount by up to three times the verdict. Google’s spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, expressed disappointment with the verdict and stated that the company intends to appeal. Castaneda emphasized that the verdict relates to a “discontinued product” and will not impact customers. As of now, there has been no response from attorneys representing Personal Audio regarding the verdict. Personal Audio, based in Beaumont, Texas, originally sought $33.1 million in damages in a court filing made in May. The lawsuit against Google was initially filed in 2015 in Texas but was later transferred to Delaware.

The recent verdict in Delaware adds to the ongoing intellectual property dispute between Google and various companies. Just a few weeks prior, a San Francisco jury ruled that Google must pay Sonos $32.5 million for patent infringement related to smart-speaker technology. The specific case discussed is titled Personal Audio LLC v. Google LLC and is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, with the case number 1:17-cv-01751.

Representing Personal Audio are Steve Hanle, Doug Hahn, and Salil Bali from Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth. On the other hand, Google is being represented by Melissa Baily, Jeff Nardinelli, David Perlson, Antonio Sistos, and Patrick Stafford from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.