Sonos notches win in Google patent fight at US trade tribunal

Sonos

18/09/2023 17:05

* 
      Sonos convinces trade tribunal judge to reject Google
import ban
bid
    

        * 
      Companies embroiled in global patent fight over
smart-speaker
tech
    

  
    By Blake Brittain
       Sept 18 (Reuters) - Sonos  SONO.O  has convinced a judge
at the U.S. International Trade Commission not to block imports
of its speakers with voice-control capabilities, as it wages an
ongoing patent battle with Google  GOOGL.O  over
wireless-speaker technology.
    Administrative law judge Cameron Elliot said in an initial
determination on Friday that Sonos' imports did not violate
federal law. The full commission is set to decide in January
whether to affirm the ruling.
    The two companies have filed patent lawsuits against each
other in several jurisdictions after previously collaborating to
integrate Google's streaming music service into Sonos products.
    Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said on Monday that the
company was disappointed with the ITC's decision and considering
next steps.
    Sonos' chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus said on Monday that
this was the "fifth jurisdiction (including Canada, the
Netherlands, Germany, and France) in which Google has sued Sonos
and lost" and called Google's lawsuits a "gross abuse of the
patent system and an effort to punish Sonos for standing up for
its own inventions."
    Google accused Sonos' speakers with Voice Control technology
of infringing patents related to its Google Assistant
technology. The ITC is scheduled to make an initial
determination on a similar Google complaint next year, and
related Google lawsuits are pending in California federal court.
    Sonos has separately sued Google for allegedly copying its
technology in Google's smart speakers. It won a limited import
ban on some Google audio devices from the ITC last year and a
$32.5 million jury verdict against Google in San Francisco
earlier this year.
    
    The ITC case is In the Matter of Certain Audio Players and
Components Thereof (II), U.S. International Trade Commission,
No. 337-TA-1330.
    For Google: Alex Lasher of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
    For Sonos: Bas de Blank of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe
    
    Read more:
    Sonos wins Google import ban ruling in U.S. patent fight
    Google sues Sonos over new voice-assistant technology
    US jury says Google owes Sonos $32.5 million in
smart-speaker patent case

 (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington)
 ((blake.brittain@tr.com; +1 (202) 938-5713;))