Alphabet Inc. has been ordered to pay $32.5 million in damages for infringing on one of Sonos Inc.’s patents related to its wireless audio devices, a federal jury in San Francisco decided on Friday.
This case is part of a broader intellectual property dispute between the two companies, which involves additional lawsuits in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The companies had previously collaborated to integrate Google’s streaming music service into Sonos products.
Sonos initially sued Google for patent infringement in Los Angeles and at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2020, alleging that Google had copied its technology while working together on devices like Google Home and Chromecast Audio.
Last year, Sonos succeeded in obtaining a limited import ban on certain Google devices from the ITC, though Google has appealed this decision.
In response, Google has filed its own patent lawsuits in California and at the ITC, accusing Sonos of using Google’s technology in its smart speakers.
Sonos has labeled Google’s lawsuits as an “intimidation tactic” intended to “grind down a smaller competitor.”
Earlier this month, Sonos experienced a nearly 20% drop in its market valuation following a revenue forecast reduction.
The jury determined that Google infringed on one of the two patents in dispute.
Sonos had previously sought $90 million in damages, though Google noted in a court filing that Sonos had reduced its initial demand of $3 billion after U.S. District Judge William Alsup limited the scope of the case.
A Google spokesperson commented that the case involves a “narrow dispute about some very specific features that are not commonly used,” and indicated that the company is evaluating its next steps.
Google also maintained that it has “always developed technology independently and competed on the merit of our ideas.”
In response, a Sonos spokesperson stated that the verdict “re-affirms that Google is a serial infringer of our patent portfolio.”
