Amazon Owes $47 Million Over Patents Used on Alexa Software (1)

Amazon.com Inc. must pay a patent-holding firm $46.7 million after a federal jury in Delaware found it infringed four patents when using technology developed by voice software pioneer VoiceBox Technologies to develop software for Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant.

VB Assets LLC, which owns the rights to some patents originally issued to VoiceBox, also convinced jurors to uphold the validity of the patents, according to a verdict issued Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

The jury found Amazon.com Services LLC intentionally infringed the patents, which gives the judge the option to increase the running royalty to ...