Google Wins Patent Trial In Texas

Google’s Nest Hub doesn’t infringe a patent owned by Profectus Technology for a digital picture frame, a federal jury in Waco, Texas, found. The jury also sided with Google and found the patent claims invalid.

The jury in US District Judge Alan Albright’s court, which is known as a hotspot for patent litigation, also found that the relevant parts of it weren’t valid.

Google’s attorney Darin Snyder of O’Melveny & Myers declined to comment. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Profectus attorneys Casey Griffith and Michael Barbee of Griffith Barbee.

Texas-based Profectus sued Google last year, alleging its Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max – which control smart-home functions, display pictures and play music, among other things – infringe its patent. Profectus’ patent relates to a mountable picture frame for displaying digital images.

The jury found Wednesday after a four-day trial that Mountain View, California-based Google didn’t infringe the patent or induce others to infringe, and also found the five parts of the patent at issue weren’t patentable.

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