Google Owes $338.7 Mln in Chromecast Patent Case, US Jury Says

The logo of Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. (Reuters)
The logo of Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. (Reuters)
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Google Owes $338.7 Mln in Chromecast Patent Case, US Jury Says

The logo of Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. (Reuters)
The logo of Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, US, November 17, 2021. (Reuters)

Alphabet's Google violated a software developer's patent rights with its remote-streaming technology and must pay $338.7 million in damages, a federal jury in Waco, Texas decided on Friday.

The jury found that Google's Chromecast and other devices infringe patents owned by Touchstream Technologies related to streaming videos from one screen to another, a court representative said on Monday.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said on Monday that the company will appeal the verdict and has "always developed technology independently and competed on the merits of our ideas."

Attorneys for New York-based Touchstream did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Touchstream, which also does business as Shodogg, said in its 2021 lawsuit that founder David Strober invented technology in 2010 to "move" videos from a small device like a smartphone to a larger device like a television.

According to the complaint, Google met with Touchstream about its technology in December 2011 but said it was not interested two months later. Google introduced its Chromecast media-streaming devices in 2013.

Touchstream said that Google's Chromecast copied its innovations and infringed three of its patents. It also said its patents were infringed by Google's Home and Nest smart speakers and third-party televisions and speakers with Chromecast capabilities.

Google denied infringing Touchstream's rights and argued that the patents are invalid.

Touchstream filed similar complaints against cable providers Comcast, Charter and Altice in Texas earlier this year. Those cases are still pending.



Apple Takes Fight Against $587 Million EU Antitrust Fine to Court

FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020.  REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
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Apple Takes Fight Against $587 Million EU Antitrust Fine to Court

FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020.  REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Apple took a challenge against EU regulators to Europe's second highest court on Monday after they fined it 500 million euros ($587 million) earlier this year for breaching landmark rules aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech.

The European Commission in a decision in April said the iPhone maker's technical and commercial restrictions that prevent app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store breached the Digital Markets Act.