Google is fined $32.5 million for violating Sonos patent

Google has infringed a Sonos patent, according to a federal jury in San Francisco, California. The jury then fines the company $32.5 million. The patent concerns the grouping and synchronization of speakers.

Sonos already accused Google in 2020 of copying its patented technology for multi-room audio. This synchronization technology allows several speakers to play the same audio simultaneously – without delay. Google is said to have obtained the knowledge for this technology through a previous collaboration between the companies. However, the legal battle between the companies is not one-sided: Google has in turn sued Sonos for a patent infringement surrounding its voice control.

The jury had already determined that previous versions of products such as the Chromecast Audio and Google Home speaker infringed Sonos’ multi-room patent. According to the jury However, more recent, updated products also infringe this patent. Google must therefore pay $2.30 for every device sold that infringes the patent. This concerns more than 14 million devices, so the fine is $32.5 million. In total, Google is said to have infringed six patents, according to Sonos, but the other five patents have been ‘rejected as invalid or not infringed’, according to the tech giant.

Sonos already won a case with the International Trade Commission in the United States in 2022. Google was then imposed a limited import ban, preventing the company from importing products into the United States that violate Sonos’ patent. Google then had to remove some functions from its range of smart speakers and smart screens.

Sonos Era 300. Image: Sonos