According to an initial ruling by a US International Trade Commission judge, Google infringed on Sonos patents. After Sonos sued Google, it has been locked in a legal dispute with the search giant. Sonos claimed that Google had infringed five of its patents related to smart speakers. Sonos stated that although the ruling was only the first step in a long battle, it is an important milestone in its ongoing efforts to defend Sonos technology from Google.In January 2020, Sonos filed a lawsuit alleging that Google stole technology it was granted as part of a joint venture between the companies. Sonos claims that Google stole the tech and used it in its products to undercut Sonos. Sonos requested a ban on sales of tons of Google hardware including Nest Hubs and Chromecasts. After the suit, Sonos filed a countersuit against Google and Sonos started a second case claiming that Google infringed five additional patents.This is not a final decisionThe commission determined that Google infringed all five patents cited by the company in its original suit. The New York Times points this out: This is not a final decision. The International Trade Commission will also have to review the case and issue its ruling on December 13th. Even though the decision is only for one case, there are still many other lawsuits that the companies are involved in.According to reports, Sonos had been asking customers whether they would like a feature called Sonos Voice Control. This would add more intelligence to its speakers. Some Sonos products also support Amazons Alexa.Google has also been the subject of antitrust lawsuits. Sonos claims that it is trying to make sure all companies receive fair compensation for investing into the development of industry-leading technology. Sonos CEO even testified before Congress that big tech companies such as Google hurt competition in their quest for being everything to all.The Verge was informed by Jos Castaeda, spokesperson for Google.
