Google Nest Thermostat Feature Leads To Copyright Issue—Costing Company $20 Million

Google Nest Thermostat is suffering from various issues. In January, the search engine giant was accused of infringing Sonos' patented technologies in wireless speaker innovation.

Some experts claimed that this issue showed the rising intellectual theft in the United States. This is not the first time that Google has been accused of stealing intellectual properties from less-known tech firms.

Aside from Google, Apple, Samsung, and other big names also suffered from the same issue for the past few years.

Now, another issue arose as Google faced a new lawsuit filed by EcoFactor.

Google Nest Thermostat's New Issue

According to Android Police's latest report, the new lawsuit filed by EcoFactor, a tech firm that focuses on energy-saving innovations, against Google requires the search engine giant to pay $5.16 million.

The issue involves Nest Thermostat units sold between January 2020 and 2022. At first, Google tried to argue its way out, saying that it independently designed the energy-saving features of its thermostats.

However, the West Texas jury finds the giant manufacturer infringing on one of EcoFactor's patents. Because of this, Google is now required to pay around $20 million for all the damages caused.

Future Nest Thermostats Also Included

Aside from the sold Nest Thermostat units between the mentioned dates, Google is also required to pay for the products it will sell in the future.

This is why the original $5.16 million requirements increased to $20 million. Since this is the case, this means that Google can still sell its Google Nest Thermostats that have energy-saving features.

As of the moment, EcoFactor considers the copyright infringement issue a serious matter since it doesn't sell its innovations directly to consumers.

Instead, this tech firm offers its services through HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) companies. Aside from them, utilities and broadband providers also use EcoFactor's energy-saving innovations to enhance their products.

In other news, Android Google Maps is still unavailable for some consumers. On the other hand, Google Chrome finally updated its logo for the first time after more than a decade.

For more news updates about Google Nest and other Google products, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by: Griffin Davis