Google Files Patent-Infringement Lawsuit Against BT Unit

BT Group Plc’s U.S. unit was sued by Google Inc. over claims it infringed four patents related to network communications including through voice-over-Internet services that BT Americas provides.

Google, owner of the world’s most popular Internet search engine, filed a complaint yesterday in federal court in Los Angeles. The Mountain View, California-based company seeks a court order preventing BT Americas from continuing its alleged infringements of the patents as well as unspecified damages.

BT, based in London, accused Google in a 2011 lawsuit of infringing six of its U.S. patents for mobile-device technology.

“BT has brought several meritless patent claims against Google and our customers -- and they’ve also been arming patent trolls,” Niki Fenwick, a Google spokeswoman, said in an e- mailed statement yesterday. “When faced with these kind of actions, we will defend ourselves.”

Kris Kozamchak, a BT spokeswoman, said yesterday in an e- mail that the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

The case is Google v. BT Americas, 13-00254, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).

To contact the reporter on this story: Edvard Pettersson in Los Angeles at epettersson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net