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Google Chromecast trial overview:
- Who: A jury has told Google it must pay $338.7 million for violating a patent from Touchstream Technologies Inc. with Google Chromecast.
- Why: Google violated three of Touchstream’s patents despite meeting with Touchstream before launching Chromecast.
- Where: The Google Chromecast verdict came in federal court in Texas.
- What are my options: Try Roku as an alternative to Chromecast.
A trial jury in a federal court in Texas has told Google it must pay $338.7 million for violating three patents from Touchstream Technologies Inc. when it launched Google Chromecast.
The verdict ruled in favor of Touchstream on all six of the claims that reached the jury.
The Touchstream patents come from 2010, when David Strober was working at a community college and saw the need to stream videos from smaller devices such as smartphones onto larger screens.
As early as December 2011, Google and Touchstream discussed a partnership before Google informed Touchstream it did not want to pursue the partnership further in February 2012, according to the lawsuit.
Google then launched its Chromecast system, which performed the Touchstream patented technology, in June 2013 at a cost of $35 per unit. As of Oct. 4, 2017, Google had sold 55 million Chromecast units.
“Google’s financial benefit from its Chromecast product is not, however, limited to revenue from the sale Chromecast units,” the lawsuit said. “For instance, the accused Chromecast functionalities also increase ad revenue to Google and support the collection of data that is valuable to Google.”
Chromecast directly infringed on Touchstream patents through the ways it functioned, trial jury finds
The trial jury found Chromecast directly infringed on Touchstream’s patents through the way it functioned, sending video to the second stream, and the way Google explained to customers how technology functioned.
“We strongly disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda told Ars Technica. “We have always developed technology independently and competed on the merits of our ideas, and will continue to defend ourselves against these meritless claims.”
Google previously asked a California federal court to reverse a $32.5 million verdict after a previous Google trial as Sonos claimed that Google sold speakers and media players that infringed on Sonos patents.
Have you ever used or purchased a Google Chromecast? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Fiona A. Bell of Shook, Hardy and Bacon LLP.
The Chromecast lawsuit is Touchstream Technologies Inc. v. Google LLC, Case No. 6:21-cv-00569-ADA, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Waco Division.
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