Google is facing a federal jury trial after being accused of infringing patents, with potential stakes involving billions of dollars.
Singular Computing, a company founded by scientist Joseph Bates in Massachusetts, alleges that Google used his proprietary technology to power AI features in various Google services, such as Search, Gmail, and Translate.
According to a Google court filing, Singular is seeking up to $7 billion in damages, potentially surpassing the largest patent infringement award in U.S. history.
Single Computing’s damages expert, Philip Green, claimed in a motion filed in December that a license for the patents in question could have resulted in a royalty payment of up to $6.6 billion. Google sought to dismiss this testimony.
Google’s spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, has called Singular’s patents “dubious,” stating that Google developed its processors independently over many years. “We look forward to setting the record straight in court,” he added.
In 2020, Singular’s complaint alleged that Bates’ patented architectures have transformed the way AI training and inference are done and claimed that Google was aware of its computing limitations prior to 2017, acknowledging that integrating Bates’ technology was necessary to meet the demand for AI-based user services.
Last July, a federal judge barred Google from making certain arguments regarding the eligibility of Bates’ computer architecture for U.S. patent protection.
Google’s AI Software
In 2016, Google introduced its AI neural processing software for delivering complex artificial intelligence and machine learning processes on smartphones, an innovation that Singular alleges violated its patent rights.
However, Google stated in a document that its engineers rejected the technology, explicitly informing Dr. Bates that it was not suitable for their applications.
Other Patent Cases Google has Faced
Google has been involved in several patent suits over the years, including a 2011 case where it lost the first round against Wireless Ink Corp. Both Facebook and Google were unable to dismiss Wireless Ink’s infringement claim, allowing the company to pursue charges related to user participation in social networks on mobile devices.
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