A Federal Judge Has Ruled That Google Did Not Infringe on A Patent For a Digital Photo Frame

A Federal Judge Has Ruled That Google Did Not Infringe on A Patent For a Digital Photo Frame

It has been found that google has not infringed on a digital photo frame patent owned by Texas-based Profectus Technology LLC ("Profectus"), according to the Waco Division of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas.

In February 2020, Profectus filed a lawsuit against Google, saying that the Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are digital picture display frames that infringe on a patent owned by Profectus.

The patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,975,308, is for a digital picture frame that may be fixed on a wall or used on a desk and shows digital photographs from a digital camera. The Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are smart gadgets that can show digital images and conduct other tasks, but they must be linked to the internet to do so.

The jury determined that Google did not infringe on Profectus's patent for a digital photo frame. Judge Alan Albright told the jury that if Profectus' ideas had already been revealed in previous devices or publications, the patent might be declared invalid. The jury then decided that Google did not infringe the patent knowingly.

Profectus sued several technology companies in 2016 for allegedly infringing on its patent for a mountable digital picture frame for exhibiting still digital photos, including Huawei Technologies and Dell. In that case, Profectus was also unsuccessful; in 2016, a federal appeals court upheld a summary ruling of non-infringement.