Xorte logo

News Markets Groups

USA | Europe | Asia | World| Stocks | Commodities



Add a new RSS channel

 
 


Keywords

2023-05-26 23:04:11| Engadget

Google has just been hit with a $32.5 million penalty for infringing on a patent held by Sonos. According to Law360, a California federal jury ordered the fine after determining that Google infringed on a patent Sonos holds relating to grouping speakers so they can play audio at the same time, something the company has been doing for years. US District Judge William Alsup had already determined that early version of products like the Chromecast Audio and Google Home infringed on Sonos' patent; the question was whether more recent, revamped products were also infringing on the patent. The jury found in favor of Sonos, but decided a second patent one that relates to controlling devices via a smartphone or other device wasn't violated. They said that Sonos hadn't convincingly shown that the Google Home app infringed on that particular patent. This follows the dismissal of four other patent violations that Sonos originally sued over.Google provided Engadget with the following statement: "This is a narrow dispute about some very specific features that are not commonly used. Of the six patents Sonos originally asserted, only one was found to be infringed, and the rest were dismissed as invalid or not infringed. We have always developed technology independently and competed on the merit of our ideas. We are considering our next steps. Today's findings feels like a win for Sonos, who originally filed suit against Google all the way back in January of 2020. Specifically, Sonos claimed that Google gained knowledge of the patent through prior collaboration between the two companies, back they collaborated to allow for integration between Sonos's speakers and Google Play Music.Since then, Google counter-sued Sonos, claiming that Sonos had in fact infringed its own patents around smart speakers. As with any good legal battle, Sonos then expanded its own lawsuit a few months later. More recently, Google sued Sonos in 2022, saying that its new voice assistant infringed on seven patents relating to the Google Assistant. Whether today's decision will slow the legal battle between the two companies remains to be seen, though we'd expect the bickering to continue full-throttle in the months to come. There are plenty of suits out there between the companies that aren't yet resolved, and we'd expect Google to appeal this decision as well. We've reached out to both Sonos and Google and will update this story with anything we hear.Update, May 26th 2023, 5:30PM ET: Added a statement from Google.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-fined-325-million-for-infringing-on-sonos-patent-210411398.html?src=rss


Category: Marketing and Advertising

 

Latest from this category

01.07Eight Less Traditional Ways People Are Using AI at Work
01.07The 25 Most Valuable Global Brands in 2025 [Infographic]
01.07Breaking Through to Reach Buyers: How Education-Led Marketing Is Redefining B2B Marketing
01.07Formalwear for a hotter world? Coors Light introduces Cold Tux and BrrrTie
30.06Shopping agent Daydream wants fashion retail to feel like magic, not a search bar
27.06AI Update, June 27, 2025: AI News and Views From the Past Week
27.06Compact UV printer smashes records as creators embrace DIY manufacturing
26.06Five Strategies of Business With Standout Productivity Growth [Infographic]
Marketing and Advertising »

All news

02.07Call money market sees Rs 3,000 crore surge in volumes as extended trading hours begin
02.07Nifty seen at 26,300 levels in near term: Bajaj Finserv Asset Management
02.07Why are Indian corporates flocking to capital markets for funding?
02.07HDB Financial likely to list with moderate gains
02.07Indian stocks at risk of overvaluation amid low-growth environment, warns RBI
02.07Bank of England to redesign banknotes - and wants your help
02.07Bank of England to redesign banknotes - and wants your help
02.07Why showing your work is the new mark of great design
More »
Privacy policy . Copyright . Contact form .