Google infringed on Sonos’ patents according to a preliminary ruling

Technology companies usually bicker with each other over alleged patent infringements. A company believes that they were the first with a certain patented technology and that other companies have used the technology without permission.

Some have even sued companies based on patents for the business idea itself, so-called patent trolls. One of these active legal battles is between Sonos and Google. Sonos believes that Google is infringing on five patents related to smart speakers.

The lawsuit began in January 2020. According to Sonos, Google stole technology it had access to after a collaboration between the companies, which Google allegedly used in its own competing speakers. Sonos wants to use this as a basis to introduce a sales ban for Google hardware such as Nest Hubs, Chromecasts and even Pixel phones.

Google responded with a countersuit. Now a judge for the US International Trade Commission has provisionally given Sonos the right in the matter. The ruling considers that Google infringed all five of Sonos’ patents. However, as said, it is only a preliminary decision that can be changed.

Google says in a comment that they do not use technology from Sonos and that they compete through their ideas and the quality of their products.

We do not use Sonos’ technology, and we compete on the quality of our products and the merits of our ideas. We disagree with this preliminary ruling and will continue to make our case in the upcoming review process. – Google