Google was ordered to pay Sonos $32.5 million in damages for infringement on a patent of Sonos. The patent relates to the grouping of speakers so they can play audio at the same time. Google’s products, including the Google Home and Chromecast Audio, were found to infringe on this patent.
Google is fined $32.5 million for Sono’s patent Infringement
US District Judge William Alsup previously ruled that Sonos’ patent was infringed upon by both Chromecast Audio and Google Home. However, Judge Alsup’s ruling addressed the initial iterations of Google’s hardware. In a recent development, a jury found that newer versions of Google’s Chromecast Audio and Google Home products also infringed on Sonos’ patent for simultaneous audio playback.
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However, the jury did not find that Google had infringed on a second patent related to controlling devices via a smartphone or other device. This patent covers the technology that allows users to control their speakers using a smartphone or a tablet.
Sonos says the US$32.5 million fine is far from enough. Google still has to pay “a fair royalty for the inventions it has appropriated,” after mentioning in a statement that their competitor has allegedly violated no less than 200 patents.
The Patent Battle
This is not the first time that Google has been found to infringe on Sonos’ patents. In 2020, a federal judge ruled that Google had infringed on two Sonos patents. The judge ordered Google to stop selling infringing products and to pay Sonos $50 million in damages.
Google has appealed the 2020 ruling, and the case is still ongoing. The company has also filed a countersuit against Sonos, alleging that Sonos has infringed on Google’s patents. The legal battle between Google and Sonos is likely to continue for some time.
