Google threatens problems with the sale of networked speakers and smartphones in the home market of the USA. A judge from the ITC trade authority believes that Sonos’ patents have been infringed.
The loudspeaker specialist Sonos has achieved a stage win in its patent dispute with Google. A judge from the US trade authority ITC came to the conclusion that the Internet company infringed five of the hi-fi company’s patents.
The ITC can prohibit the importation of goods into the USA in the event of patent infringements.
The judge’s preliminary decision published on Friday is still to be examined by the entire commission. The deadline for a decision is December 13th.
In the lawsuit filed in early 2020, Sonos has various Google devices such as Smartphones from the Pixel brand and networked speakers from the Nest brand in its sights. The patents are about technologies for synchronizing audio playback between multiple devices, for volume control and WLAN connection. Since most of the devices are manufactured in Asia, a ban on imports by the ITC would prevent the technology from being sold in the USA. After the Richter decision became known, the Sonos share rose by a good 4.6 percent in after-hours trading on Friday.
At the same time, an import ban can be lifted by the US president – which, however, rarely happens. Two months are allotted for the presidential review – so the Christmas business for Google would definitely be safe. The next generation of Google smartphones is expected for autumn with the Pixel 6.
While Sonos welcomed the judge’s conclusions, Google holds against it. “We do not use Sonos technology,” said a Google spokesman for the financial service Bloomberg.
Sonos expanded the patent dispute to other countries and obtained a voluntary injunction in Germany against the sale of some Google devices. The Internet company appealed against it.
In the ITC proceedings, Google had emphasized that the group had technologies with which the patents named by Sonos would not be infringed and that the judges had asked for an assessment. At the same time, Google filed a counterclaim in the USA, also alleging patent infringements.
Sonos is a pioneer in networked speakers and specializes in sound systems for different rooms in a home. The company is currently also trying to expand its business to the automobile market through a cooperation with Audi.
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