Why could Google’s Sonos problems be bad news for Amazon?

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Google got into hot water last year after the Sonos audio brand took it to court for stealing patented features from Sonos speakers to create Google Home smart speakers. Compared to Google’s trillion-dollar empire, Sonos is a little fish with a valuation of around $ 5 billion. Despite that, Sonos is making Google sweat as the U.S. International Trade Commission sides with Sonos, which could lead to a ban on Google’s smart speakers. So how is Amazon involved in this Sonos vs. Google fight? Sonos said Amazon is also using some technologies made by Sonos to power its range of Echo smart speakers. While Sonos is focusing on Google for now, there may be a possibility that it will come after Amazon as well. When it comes to smart speakers, Sonos was among the first to introduce internet-connected speakers. But to survive in the market, Sonos was forced to add support for Google Play Music and other Google services. Both Google and Sonos worked together to create speakers in 2013. But after Google introduced its Google Home smart speakers in 2016, Sonos claims that Google copied the hardware features from the Sonos speakers as Google had managed to get a spike in its innovation while working with the company to add Google services. The court has now found that Google has indeed infringed five patents and blatantly and knowingly copied Sonos’ technology to boost speakers with Google Assistant. Google, of course, is denying this. If the court finally rules against Google, the Google Home range of smart speakers could be banned. As for Amazon, reports state that Sonos has partnered with Amazon to integrate Alexa support, and that Amazon may have copied some technologies from it as well. And after battling Google, Amazon could be next. In a statement to TechCrunch, Sonos Chief Legal Officer Eddie Lazarus said: The ALJ has found all five patents declared by Sonos valid and that Google infringes all five patents. We are pleased that the ITC has confirmed Google’s blatant infringement of Sonos patented inventions. This decision reaffirms the strength and breadth of our portfolio, marking a promising milestone in our long-term quest to defend our innovation from embezzlement by Big Tech monopolies.

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