Google's Nest smart thermostat was found patent infringing and awarded $20 million in damages

On February 11, a jury in West Texas reportedly ruled thursday that Google needed to pay $20 million (about 130 million yuan) for infringing the patent rights of energy management company EcoFactor for infringing on its Nest smart thermostat.

▲ Nest thermostat

The West Texas jury said the technology used by Google's Nest device infringed EcoFactor's patented technology, which automatically reduces energy use during periods of peak demand. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, EcoFactor sells smart home energy-saving services through utilities, HVAC companies and broadband providers.

EcoFactor sued Google in 2020, accusing Google of infringing its patent rights. Google denied the allegation and argued that EcoFactor's patent was invalid. The West Texas jury on Thursday found Google infringing one of the patents and awarded EcoFactor a fine of more than $20 million in damages. EcoFactor has also filed lawsuits against Amazon, Ecobee, Vivint and other companies in West Texas over smart thermostat technology.

Google spokeswoman José Casta eda said the ruling would not affect its customers and the company plans to appeal. Reza Mirzaie, an EcoFactor lawyer from law firm Russ August & Kabat, said she thanked the jury for protecting the company's "foundational" intellectual property and argued that Google had infringed its intellectual property.