Google has been ordered by a US federal court docket to cough up $338.7 million in damages for infringing another person’s patents with its Chromecast gear.
A jury in Waco, Texas, on Friday discovered in opposition to the online large, and set the nine-figure pay out.
In that heady period of 2011 to 2012, Touchstream Applied sciences developed and launched an app referred to as Shodogg that allowed folks to do issues like stream movies to their web TVs from their smartphones. That undertaking seems to have petered out, from what we will inform.
In 2021, Touchstream sued Google, accusing the tech goliath of patent infringement. David Strober, Shodogg cofounder and Touchstream president, claimed Google’s Chromecast, which additionally allowed folks to stream stuff to TVs managed by their telephones, ripped off three of his firm’s US patents. These three have been:
- 8,356,251: Play management of content material on a show system (filed 2011, granted 2013)
- 8,782,528: Play management of content material on a show system (filed 2013, granted 2014)
- 8,904,289: Play management of content material on a show system (filed 2011, granted 2014)
It was claimed by Touchstream that again in December 2011, Google and Touchstream had mentioned how they may work collectively and Google determined a few months later in opposition to pursuing a collaboration. The Chrome browser maker launched its video-streaming Chromecast in 2013.
Touchstream’s attorneys argued Google knew about Stober’s small-to-big-screen-casting know-how earlier than he was capable of formally patent the designs, and stole his concepts for its Chromecast merchandise. Strober mentioned he invented know-how for streaming media from small units, comparable to telephones, to greater screens in 2010.
Google, however, argued the Touchstream patents have been invalid, and denied any wrongdoing.
“Google knew concerning the patent functions resulting in the Touchstream patents by no later than December 2011,” Touchstream’s grievance [PDF] claimed. “Google additionally knew, or on the very least ought to have recognized, of the issued Touchstream patents on or shortly after the date every such patent was issued, starting with the ‘251 Patent that issued in January 2013.
“At no level in 2011, 2012, or 2013 did Google attain out to Touchstream about doubtlessly buying a license to Touchstream’s pending or awarded patents, and to today Google has not requested or obtained a license to any of the Touchstream patents.”
A federal jury finally present in favor of Touchstream, and mentioned Google should pay $338.7m in damages, a mere two % of the $15 billion revenue its mother or father Alphabet reported within the first three months of this yr.
The case is not fairly over. A Google spokesperson instructed The Register the biz goes to enchantment the choice, and once more denied infringing Touchstream’s patents.
“We strongly disagree with the decision and can enchantment. We have now all the time developed know-how independently and competed on the deserves of our concepts, and can proceed to defend ourselves in opposition to these meritless claims,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The Register has requested Touchstream’s authorized consultant for additional remark. ®
