In Boston, United States, Google is set to appear before a federal judge regarding allegations of trademark infringement. The case revolves around Singular Computing’s claim, a company founded by Joseph Bates, a professor specializing in systems from Massachusetts. Bates asserts that Google, owned by Alphabet, has utilized his systems without authorization to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities across various applications such as Google Search, Google, and Google Translate.
The petition filed by Singular Computing seeks up to $7 billion in damages, marking it as potentially the largest trademark infringement lawsuit in the history of the United States. The company alleges that Google collaborated with Bates between 2010 and 2014 on advancements in computer processing. Singular Computing argues that Google’s Tensor control models, which have significantly boosted AI functionalities, infringe upon Bates’ patented technology. The lawsuit further claims that Google’s utilization of an advanced infrastructure discovered by Bates has revolutionized AI training and inference processes, offering enhanced computational capabilities.
Google introduced its processing units in 2016, employing them for tasks like speech recognition, content generation, personalized advertising recommendations, and more. Singular Computing asserts that Google’s subsequent releases, particularly types 2 and 3 in 2017 and 2018, continue to violate their intellectual property rights.
In response to these allegations, Google maintains that its processors operate distinctively from Singular’s patented systems. Google’s spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, challenges the validity of Singular’s patents and asserts that Google independently developed its processors over an extended period. Castaneda expresses confidence in the legal proceedings to vindicate Google’s position.
Separately, the US District Court in Washington is expected to address a related matter concerning the potential invalidation of Singular’s patents. Following an appeal from Facebook, the US Patent and Trademark Office will review the validity of the patents, with a resolution anticipated within a few weeks.
