Royalties Tacked Onto Amazon’s $40 Million Alexa Patent Loss

Amazon.com Inc. must pay a patent-holding firm ongoing royalties for three patents that were ruled to have been infringed by software for the Alexa digital assistant, in addition to $40 million in damages.

Amazon will pay VB Assets LLC $0.25 for two patents per net new Alexa shopping user, and $0.45 for the third patent, according to an order issued Thursday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. Increased inflation from 2021 to 2024 supports raising the $0.22 and $0.40 rates used to calculate the jury award, Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote.

• A jury in 2023 found Amazon ...