One day before the unveiling of Google Pixel 5, a lawsuit has been filed by Sonos saying that Google has infringed five more patents. The patents include technologies which form the basis of the best-known features of Sonos like the Trueplay tuning tool.
The lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing legal spat between Sonos and Google. Google was sued by Sonos in the beginning of 2020. It said that Google had violated five of its speaker patents which also includes the one explaining a technology that allows wireless speakers to sync with each other.
Google also countersued Sonos in the month of June saying that Sonosis using their search, software, networking and audio processing technologies without paying the licensing fee. Google stated in the complaint that Google normally doesn’t sue any company for patent infringement and they must assert the intellectual property rights there.
A Sonos spokesperson also said that Google has decided to double down on their disregard for IP and other American inventors and they think it is important for Sonos for their own sake and other innovative companies. It is required to stand up to monopolists that try to copy and subsidise the way to further domination.
The timing is not good for Google for many reasons. At the Pixel 5 event, the company might announce a new smart speaker from Nest. Google has also found itself in the middle of antitrust investigations at US and EU. Another lawsuit might add merit to those investigations.