Google facing $125 million in damages after being found guilty of infringing on push notification patent
According to newly published court docs, a company by the name of SimpleAir is seeking $125 million in damages after winning a software patent lawsuit against Google for infringing their push notification software. Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) and Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) were the offending services landing the search giant — and Android — in hot water.
During the trial, Google asked for a mistrial but in the end, was found guilty on all 5 claims by a jury verdict in Texas of infringing on SimpleAir’s patent (no. 7,035,914) described as a “system and method for transmission of data.” Given Google’s GCM and C2DM services all use similar technology for instant notifications on apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail — it was no contest.
What’s still up in the air is the actual dollar amount Google now owes SimpleAir, but a separate jury will decide on a dollar amount in a limited second trial. It should be noted that SimpleAir — who describes themselves as “an inventor-owned technology licensing company” — settled with Apple back in 2012 in a similar suit, where the 2 entered into a confidential licensing agreement, along with BlackBerry in 2012 and more recently, Microsoft late last year.
[PC World]