Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Google loses Sonos smart speakers patent fight

Google loses Sonos smart speakers patent fight

Smart-speaker firm Sonos has won a major legal battle against Google over patents it said the firm had infringed.

The decision means that Google's smart speakers and other smart home tech that uses the offending systems cannot be imported to the United States.

Sonos contends that Google will have to "degrade" its speakers if it refuses to pay Sonos a licensing fee.

But the tech giant says it has already devised workarounds to prevent any interruptions.

Google says it disagrees with the ruling, by the US International Trade Commission, and will "continue to defend ourselves against Sonos' frivolous claims about our partnership and intellectual property".

The commission found that Google had infringed all five patents Sonos complained about, upholding an initial decision made in August 2021.

The patents relate to multi-room speakers, and how they synchronise to play music at the same volume across multiple rooms or "zones" in a home.
Multi-room audio was Sonos' standout feature when it first launched, winning the fledgling company an innovation award at the CES tech shows in 2005.

Sonos chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus said in a statement that the features affected by the US ruling included "the set up for controlling home audio systems, the synchronisation of multiple speakers, the independent volume control of different speakers, and the stereo pairing of speakers".

"There is a possibility that Google will be able to degrade or eliminate product features in a way that circumvents the importation ban," he said - something he argued would "sacrifice consumer experience" while still infringing patents and racking up damages.

"Alternatively, Google can - as other companies have already done - pay a fair royalty for the technologies it has misappropriated," he said.

However, Google pointed to tweaked designs it had put forward during the legal battle which avoided using Sonos' patents, and said the trade commission had not taken issue with the new system.

Google's smart speakers are focused on voice-assistant technology


Nevertheless, the Google Nest smart home team has published a notice that users "will need to adjust each speaker individually" rather than all at once, and will "no longer be able to change your speaker group volume using your phone's physical volume button".

A small number of users may also need to use a special app to complete set-up.

"While we disagree with today's decision, we appreciate that the International Trade Commission has approved our modified designs and we do not expect any impact to our ability to import or sell our products," a Google spokesperson said.

Google said it would also "seek further review".

The trade commission ruling has a 60-day grace period before the import ban, while the ruling is subject to presidential review. Google's statement that it does not expect any disruption may suggest that its workarounds will be ready by then.

Sonos and Google have been embroiled in a series of long-running battles and have come to blows over the implementation of smart assistants - such as Google Assistant - in Sonos' tech.

There are currently a number of other active lawsuits between the two.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×