Sonos seeks further pain for Google in smart-speaker clash
Victor seeks injunctive relief and further damages | Sonos presses for consumer notice and supply chain accountability in patent infringement case.
Sonos is continuing its legal battle with Google after securing a $32.5 million win in May.
Sonos filed a motion with the US District Court of California on June 15, seeking permanent injunctive relief and additional damages.
The legal conflict dates back to January 2020 when Sonos accused Google of infringing its patented smart-speaker technology. Sonos filed a complaint with the US District Court of California, asserting claims of patent infringement against Google.
Following the legal proceeding, the US District Court ruled in favour of Sonos, holding that Google must pay $32.5 million for using Sonos’ patented smart-speaker technologies without obtaining permission.
The jury determined a royalty rate of $2.30 per unit for over 14.1 million infringing products.
Chromecase Audio infringements
Sonos, known for its wireless multi-room audio systems protected by more than 750 patents, revolutionised the home devices industry.
The patents cover the essential aspects of wireless audio devices, such as network setup, group control, and audio synchronisation.
In 2013, Google was introduced to Sonos’ multi-room technology through a partnership to integrate Google Play music into Sonos’ platform.
However, in 2015, Google allegedly began intentionally infringing Sonos’ patents with the launch of its wireless multi-room audio product called the Chromecast Audio.
Since then, Google has expanded its range of infringing products to include devices like Google Home, and Pixel phones, tablets and laptops.
Sonos previously warned Google about these infringements in 2016 and reiterated the warning in 2018 before accusing it of violating approximately 100 patents in February 2019.
Sonos also accused Google of using subsidised prices as “loss leaders” for its products as part of a broader strategy to collect consumer data and boost advertising revenues.
As a result, Sonos filed lawsuits concerning five patents related to its wireless speaker design, resulting in its success in May.
In its motion for injunctive relief, Sonos insists that Google should be obliged to provide notice of the infringement and the injunction to various parties, including its subsidiaries, successors, distributors, and licensees.
