Google seeks reversal of $32.5M verdict in Sonos patent trial

Update:

• Google asked a California federal court to undo a $32.5 million jury verdict that determined Google sold smart speakers and media players that infringed on Sonos patents.
• On June 23, Google LLC filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge William Alsup to reverse the award, arguing it is “fundamentally flawed” and “grossly excessive” and that the patents should be invalidated.
• Meanwhile, Sonos asked the judge to permanently block Google from selling the media players, arguing the verdict is “inadequate” compensation and the damages it suffered are “unquantifiable.”

Sonos smart speaker overview: 

• Who: Sonos won a $32.5 million lawsuit against Google.
• Why: A jury agreed with Sonos’ claim that 14.1 million Google products sold had violated Sonos patents. 
• Where: The ruling came from a California federal jury.
• What are my options: Try OnePlus for smart speaker options.

(June 1, 2023)

Sonos has been awarded $32.5 million as a result of a lawsuit against Google for violating the Sonos smart speaker patent in Google’s speaker sales. 

A jury in California federal court decided Google violated the patent in the sale of 14.1 million smart speakers. A $2.30-per-speaker royalty then created a settlement of $32.5 million.

The court was considering the validity of complaints for violations of U.S. patent 10,848,885 related to speaker technology and patent 10,469,966 related to smartphones. The jury determined the Google patents violation was only based on a violation of the Sonos smart speaker technology patents.

Google Chromecast, Home, Nest products violated Sonos smart speaker patent, verdict says

The jury determined Google’s Chromecast, Home and Nest products all violated Sonos’ smart speaker patent but the apps on smartphones for those products did not.

Sonos alleged a partnership with Google to get its products in the Play music service resulted in Google having access to Sonos’ technology. Google agreed the partnership occurred and Sonos was even the preferred speaker for the Google Assistant program, but argued Sonos made “false claims about the companies’ shared work and Google’s technology.”

Sonos was previously accused in a class action lawsuit of initiating a software update that caused its speaker controllers to fail so that customers needed to purchase new controllers.

Have you purchased a speaker from Google that might have infringed on the Sonos smart speaker patent? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Alyssa M. Caridis and Clement S. Roberts of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Rory P. Shea, Cole B. Richter, Sean M. Sullivan and J. Dan Smith III of Lee Sullivan Shea & Smith LLP.

Google is represented by Sean S. Pak, Melissa J. Baily, Iman Lordgooei, James D. Judah and Jason C. Williams of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

The Sonos smart speaker lawsuit is Google LLC v. Sonos Inc., Case No. 3:20-cv-06754, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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