Sonos sues Google again for allegedly copying wireless audio tech
- Sonos has again sued Google for allegedly copying wireless audio technology.
- Nest and Chromecast devices allegedly infringe five patents on wireless audio.
- It’s supposed to show the “depth and breadth of copying from google”.
Sonos doesn’t stop at a lawsuit against Google for allegedly copying speaker technology. The edge reports that Sonos is again suing Google, alleging the internet giant has infringed five wireless audio patents.
The suit claims that the entire Nest and Chromecast range uses Sonos technology, which includes phone-based streaming music control, speaker groups, and automatic EQ. Sonos thought it was important to sue again in order to underline the “depth and breadth of copying from Google”, according to lawyer Eddie Lazarus.
Google spokesman Jose Castaneda promised that the company would fight the new lawsuit. He claimed that Google’s products were “independently” designed and that his employer would “vigorously” reject the claims. Google countered Sonos in the first case in June with a joint strategy to force a quick end to a legal dispute.
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Sonos has often complained about the power of companies like Google and Amazon to cut technology and dictate unforgiving terms. It went so far as to accuse them of knowingly infringing patents on the assumption that the cost of litigation would be trivial compared to the profits from smart speakers.
The company believes “most of the people” in home wireless audio are infringing Sonos patents, Lazarus said. Sue Google was a “last resort” when discussions fail.
The lawsuit does not mean that Sonos has abandoned the Google integration. According to Lazarus, it wants a “positive relationship” with Google. Google is supposed to keep paying, however – we wouldn’t expect the two to warm each other up unless there’s a friendly agreement. Nest and Chromecast products are safe for now, but there are no guarantees that they will continue to be.
