Google has successfully convinced a U.S. appeals court to reexamine a $20 million patent infringement ruling related to its Nest smart thermostats. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit agreed to a full-court review, revisiting a decision that initially favored EcoFactor, an energy-management firm that accused Google of infringing on its patent for managing peak energy usage.
This unusual move to reconsider the case came after a divided three-judge panel upheld the verdict in June, affirming the jury’s decision to award EcoFactor $20 million. Google, however, challenged the testimony of EcoFactor’s damages expert, arguing that it was speculative and disconnected from the real market value of the technology.
Google’s spokesperson expressed the company’s satisfaction with the court’s decision to revisit the issue, while EcoFactor has yet to comment on the development. The case, originally filed in 2020, claimed that Google’s Nest thermostat employed EcoFactor’s patented technology for optimizing energy efficiency during peak demand periods.
Other tech giants, including Apple, Tesla, and Intel, have backed Google’s stance in court filings, supporting the argument that the damages awarded were excessive and based on flawed analysis.
With this new development, the battle over the future of smart home technology and energy efficiency remains far from over.
