A US court has instructed Google to pay$15.1 million for violating two audio-playback patents associated with its Google Play Music application. A federal jury in the District of Delaware found Google responsible for actively encouraging users of unlicensed Android phones to infringe on the valid and infringed claims.

The jury concluded that the infringement was deliberate, granting the judge the option to triple the awarded amount. The patent holder, Personal Audio, had initially sought a royalty exceeding$33 million for Google's infringement.

A damages verdict was issued after Personal Audio's victory in the liability phase of a divided trial. The case, initiated in September 2015, revolved around US Patent Nos. 6,199,076 and 7,509,178. It was later transferred from Texas to Delaware, where the trial occurred.

Google intends to contest the jury's decision and highlights that the discontinued status of Google Play Music ensures that its customers will not be affected by the verdict. Google has submitted a judgement request that awaits a decision, requesting both non-infringement and invalidity.