In a Delaware federal jury ruling in the United States, Google was ordered to pay Personal Audio $15.1 million in damages for infringing two patents related to music software. The jury concluded that Google knowingly infringed the patents, which could have tripled the award.
Personal Audio claimed that Google had infringed on patents related to playlist downloads, app navigation, and editing features in its Play Music music app. The lawsuit was filed against Google by Texas-based Personal Audio back in 2015, but the case was later moved to Delaware.
Google representatives said they were disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal, notes NIXsolutions. They noted that the court decision is related to a product that has not been used for a long time and will not affect users. At the same time, Personal Audio’s lawyers expressed their satisfaction with the jury’s decision.
The jury’s swift decision came shortly after a San Francisco jury ordered Google to pay Sonos $32.5 million for patent infringement on smart speakers.