Google faces $7bn lawsuit for using patented AI technology
Google is heading to court in Boston this week, facing a federal jury over claims that it infringed on patents held by Singular Computing, a company founded by computer scientist Joseph Bates. The trial centers around allegations that Google used Bates's technology in key products like Google Search, Gmail, and Google Translate. If Singular Computing wins, it could receive up to $7 billion in damages, making it the largest patent infringement award in US history.
Singular's claims and Google's response
According to Singular Computing's 2019 complaint, Bates shared his computer-processing innovations with Google between 2010 and 2014. The lawsuit claims that Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which boost AI capabilities, infringe on two of Bates's patents. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda called the patents "dubious" and said that Google developed its processors "independently over many years." Castaneda added, "We look forward to setting the record straight in court."
Separate case on patent validity
Google also noted that its engineers had mixed feelings about Bates's technology and ultimately rejected it, saying it wasn't suitable for the applications they were developing. In a separate case, a US appeals court in Washington will hear arguments today about whether to invalidate Singular's patents. Google appealed that its processors work differently than Singular's patented technology and that the patents are invalid.
