Google In Hot Water: Infringement Case Against SONOS Inc.
Google has been known to many as a company that provides the best-in-class web search, relentless browser advertising, and somewhat useful technology. However, The technology and intellectual property Google has acquired over the years hasn’t always been through honest ethics. There have been many that have sought retribution and proper compensation for the use of their IP. Smaller companies tend to bring out innovation in the most creative of ways, only to have it stolen by the likes of big tech monopolies like Google. SONOS Inc, a home speaker company, is one of those companies that has fallen victim to Google’s thievery.
They filed a lawsuit against Google on January 5, 2020 for infringement on the speaker company’s five patents related to audio technology. In their attempt to seek justice, SONOS Inc is seeking a ban of sale on Google speakers, smartphones, and laptops in the U.S. along with compensatory damages. The dispute began in 2013 when SONOS shared their multiroom wireless speaker technology with Google in order to show how it could integrate well with Google Play Music. Instead of Google licensing the technology, the company decided to go a different route and launch their own multiroom audio product, Chromecast Audio with SONOS technology inside.
