This is the second major patent case Google has lost in recent months.
what you need to know
- Google will have to pay $20 million due to the EcoFactor patent lawsuit.
- EcoFactor sued Google in 2020, claiming its Nest thermostat infringed its patents.
- Google is reportedly planning to appeal the verdict.
- In January, Google lost a patent lawsuit against Sonos and had to improve its smart home controls.
Google has lost its second major patent case in as many months after a Texas court found it infringed a patent for smart home energy management company EcoFactor.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020, claims that Google’s Nest Thermostat product line infringes two of its patents. However, the court found only one patent was infringed, and it related to Google’s method of thermostats shutting down HVAC systems to save energy.
EcoFactor specifically mentions Google’s Early-On feature, which calculates when it should start heating or cooling your home based on schedules and the weather.
As a result of the verdict, Google will have to pay more than $20 million.
Android Central reached out to Google for a statement, but did not hear back immediately. However, Google spokesman Jose Castaneda told Reuters the company plans to appeal the verdict, which should not affect its customers.
This is apparently the second major patent lawsuit Google has lost recently, as it was found to infringe key Sonos patents related to Google’s best smart speakers and displays. Because of the case, Google has had to adjust the way it handles volume controls on smart devices, which has allowed it to avoid an import ban on some Nest products.
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