Google has filed two lawsuits against speaker-maker Sonos over alleged patent violation, as per CNET.
On Monday, two lawsuits were filed by Google in US District Court in California, alleging that Sonos' newest voice-assistant technology violates seven patents in connection to Google Assistant.
BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 09: A participant wearing an earring walks past a Google logo at a stand at the 2022 Re:publica digital society festival on June 09, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
Sonos Allegedly Violates Seven Patents Related to Google Assistant Technology
According to the filing, the voice control feature of Sonos' for its smart speakers that debuted in May, infringes seven patents in connection with Google Assistant technology, as per Reuters.
The new lawsuit is an addition to the ongoing patent battle between Google and Sonos regarding smart-speaker technology. Lawsuits have been filed in California, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
According to Google spokesperson José Castañeda, Sonos has "started an aggressive and misleading campaign against our products, at the expense of our shared customers."
He said that in response Google filed the lawsuits to "defend our technology and challenge Sonos' clear, continued infringement of our patents."
Meanwhile, in a statement, Sonos' chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus said that the new lawsuits file by Google were an "intimidation tactic designed to retaliate against Sonos for speaking out against Google's monopolistic practices."
Moreover, Lazarus stated that this is Google's move to avoid providing royalty to Sonos for about 200 patents it is currently infringing.
The voice assistant of Sonos was launched in June. The technology allows users to control their speakers through the use of voice commands beginning with the phrase "Hey Sonos."
According to Google, the company has made its technologies available to users worldwide. Google said that it even provided its Google Assistant software to Sonos for many years.
For years, Google engineers has worked with Sonos engineers regarding the "implementation of voice recognition and voice-activated device controls in Sonos' products," the lawsuit stated.
Read Also: Google Targets Sonos With The Chromecast Audio
Lawsuit Battle Between Google and Sonos Rooted in 2020
An unspecified amount of monetary damages is being requested by Google. The company is also asking for an injunction that will block Sonos' alleged infringement.
The lawsuit battle between Google and Sonos started in early 2020 when Sonos filed a case against Google for alleged patent infringement, as per Engadget. This came after the two companies worked together for several years.
According to Sonos, Google obtained knowledge of the company's technology when they collaborated. Furthermore, Sonos claimed that Google used that information to make its own smart speaker line.
In September 2020, Sonos filed another lawsuit. This time, the company claimed that Google violated five more patents.
In a counter case, Google alleged that Sonos was utilizing Google's search, software, networking, audio processing and other technology "without paying a license fee." The company also claimed that Sonos made "false claims" about their collaboration.
In a 2021 ruling of the US International Trade Commission, Google lost the case. To avoid import ban, Google was forced to change the way its speakers were set.
Change in the speakers were related to the manner speaker groups are controlled. One of the changes is users can no longer adjust the volume of a group of speakers. The speakers must be modified individually instead.
Related Article: Sonos Users Shift Music Streaming Platform as Google Discontinues Play Music; Shifts to YouTube Music
