Google copied Sonos’ multi-zone speaker technology, US import regulator rules

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

The US International Trade Commission has ruled that Google is in violation of five Sonos patents relating to smart speakers (via The New York Times). The decision affirms a judge’s ruling in August, and it’s the kind of decision that could theoretically force Google to stop importing products using the infringing technology.

However, it's not yet clear whether any specific Google products will necessarily disappear from shelves, and for now it seems unlikely that will happen at all. “We do not expect any impact to our ability to import or sell our products,” Google spokesperson José Castaneda tells The Verge, pointing to how the International Trade Commission already approved Google workarounds for each of the five patents, as Bloomberg...

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