Google Wins $191,000 Fee Award in ‘Frivolous’ Patent Lawsuit

EscapeX IP LLC must pay Google LLC more than $191,000 in attorneys’ fees for bringing a “frivolous” patent infringement lawsuit over a YouTube feature.

It’s “obvious” that EscapeX didn’t conduct any substantial investigation before filing the lawsuit because a basic online search would have shown that the accused “Auto Add” feature predated its patent, Judge Vince Chhabria of the US District Court for the Northern District of California said in an order filed Wednesday.

EscapeX sued Google for infringement in April 2022 and Google placed it “on notice of the baselessness of its claim early and often,” the court said. ...