USITC to probe audio device maker after tech giant’s complaints
The dispute concerns components covered by seven patents | The Commission handed a victory to Sonos against Google in January.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has instituted two investigations against Sonos, following complaints filed by Google about patent infringements.
On Friday, September 9, the ITC announced that it would investigate Google’s claims that Sonos had infringed seven patents through the import of certain audio components.
The tech company has asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order against Sonos.
These new complaints add to the clash between the pair. In January this year, the ITC handed a victory to Sonos, after it barred Google from importing some smart home devices and audio systems produced in China into the US.
Earlier last month, Google escalated the dispute by filing lawsuits which accused Sonos' new voice-assistant technology of infringing seven Google patents.
Google had also filed its complaints with the ITC at the same time (alleging infringement of the same seven patents), before supplementing them later that month. It claimed that Sonos was violating section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 through its importing activities.
The ITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case.
An ITC administrative law judge will soon schedule and hold evidentiary hearings for each complaint, before making an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337.
The trade commission said it would set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days of the institution of the investigations.
Commenting on the case, Eddie Lazarus, chief legal officer at Sonos, said: "Google previously sued us all over the world and Sonos has prevailed in every decided case. By contrast, the courts have repeatedly validated Sonos’ claims that Google is infringing its core patented smart speaker technology.
"Google’s new lawsuits are an intimidation tactic designed to retaliate against Sonos for speaking out against Google’s monopolistic practices, avoid paying Sonos a fair royalty for the roughly 200 patents it is currently infringing, and grind down a smaller competitor whose innovations it has misappropriated. It will not succeed."
WIPR has also approached Google for comment.
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