Google's Nest infringes thermostat patent
A Texas federal court jury has ruled that technology in Google’s Nest smart thermostat infringes an energy management company’s patent.
The Californian-based EcoFactor sued Google for infringing four of its patents related to its own energy management systems in June 2020.
It claimed that Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat used a particular feature, known as “early-on” that calculates when to heat or cool the home based on factors such as the weather or a determined schedule.
Google had fired back at the company, claiming that EcoFactor’s patents were invalid, and attempted to postpone the trial, citing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant and its potential impact on its witnesses.
In a verdict handed down Thursday, February 10, the US District Court for the Western District of Texas jury ruled that Google had infringed one of the four patents and ordered the technology giant to pay $20 million in damages.
In a statement to Reuters, Google spokesperson José Castañeda said that the company plans to appeal the jury’s verdict and that the ruling will not affect customers.
EcoFactor had also taken action against Google at the US International Trade Commission (USITC), asking the agency to investigate its smart thermostats, along with products from several other brands including Schneider Electric, DEcobee and Vivent.
Targeting Nest
Google’s Nest products have been the target of another high-profile lawsuit from audio device maker Sonos, who sued Google in 2020 for “flooding the market” with devices that relied on infringing technology—including the Nest.
In January, Sonos secured an import ban against several of Google’s smart home products, including the Google Nest Hub.
In a statement released to the press, Sonos chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus welcomed the “across the board win” that he said underscored Google’s “hollow denials of infringement”.
Google was forced to make changes to these products following the ruling.
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