A US commerce court docket barred Google late Thursday from importing merchandise that infringe home-audio firm Sonos’ smart-speaker patents.
The US International Trade Commission affirmed an August resolution that Google audio merchandise infringed 5 Sonos patents and banned Google from importing “networked speaker devices” and units that may management them like cellphones and laptops.
The ruling says Google will not be barred from importing merchandise that it had redesigned to keep away from infringing the patents. A Google spokesperson stated it doesn’t anticipate the choice to have an effect on to its skill to import or promote its merchandise.
“We will seek further review and continue to defend ourselves against Sonos’ frivolous claims about our partnership and intellectual property,” the corporate stated.
Sonos’ Chief Legal Officer Eddie Lazarus referred to as the ruling an “across-the-board” win and stated Google’s merchandise nonetheless infringe the patents regardless of its makes an attempt to design round them.
Sonos’ inventory was up 1.5 p.c in late morning buying and selling on Friday, having earlier risen greater than 3 p.c.
The events have been embroiled in a worldwide patent struggle over multi-room audio expertise since 2020 that features court docket circumstances in California, Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, in response to a Sonos regulatory submitting.
Sonos first sued Google in Los Angeles, alleging the corporate misused its expertise in “more than a dozen different infringing products”, together with Google Home audio system and Pixel telephones, tablets, and laptops.
Google responded with its personal lawsuit in San Francisco, alleging Sonos used “substantial volumes” of its expertise with out permission for a number of merchandise, together with controller apps and its Sonos Radio service.
At the ITC, Sonos had been making an attempt to dam Google from importing Home audio system, Pixel telephones, and different merchandise from China.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
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