Finnegan Secures $240 Million Jury Verdict for Promptu in Patent Case Against Comcast

WASHINGTON, DC–On January 23, Finnegan obtained a $240 million jury verdict for client Promptu in a patent infringement lawsuit against Comcast in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The jury found that Comcast infringed Promptu’s patents covering voice‑recognition technology for TV and further determined that the infringement was willful.

Promptu filed suit in December 2016, alleging that Comcast’s voice‑enabled television products infringed Promptu’s voice‑recognition patents. After an adverse claim‑construction ruling in 2022 led to stipulated non‑infringement to permit appeal, Finnegan successfully appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Federal Circuit vacated an earlier judgment and remanded the case after concluding that the district court had construed key claim terms too narrowly. The remand cleared the way for Promptu to present its infringement case to a jury, which resulted in a $240 million verdict.

“After nearly a decade of litigation, this verdict vindicates Promptu’s pioneering work in voice‑powered TV interfaces and confirms that Comcast’s products incorporated Promptu’s patented innovations,” said Jacob Schroeder, counsel for Promptu. “We are grateful to the Court and the jury for their careful attention to the evidence.”

Finnegan’s representation of Promptu has also included earlier victories at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, where Comcast’s IPR challenges failed in 2019, confirming the strength of Promptu’s patent portfolio.

The case is Promptu Systems Corporation v. Comcast Corporation et al., 2:16-cv-06516, E.D. Pa.

Contacts
 
Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer
terra.liddell@finnegan.com

Angela Robinson, Director of Branding and Communications
angela.robinson@finnegan.com

About Finnegan
When your most valuable assets are ideas, innovation, and brand—you need the best to protect them. Finnegan, a premier intellectual property law firm, is trusted by global leaders to protect and advance what sets them apart. With 11 offices across the globe, we bring local insight and global reach to every IP challenge. We are located in Atlanta, Boston, London, Munich, Palo Alto, Reston, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and Washington, DC. From high-stakes litigation to cutting-edge patent strategy and innovative brand management, we deliver unmatched depth, agility, and results. If it is IP, it is Finnegan. Please visit us at www.finnegan.com or follow us on LinkedIn to see how we’re shaping the future of IP, one breakthrough at a time.