Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Sonos is suing Google for allegedly copying its tech — and Amazon could be next

Simon Cohen
By

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

CES is usually a time to get excited about all of the possibilities that new technology can bring to our lives, even if some of it is downright silly. But this year, as Google is prominently celebrating its various technologies amid the endless halls of exhibitors, a storm cloud is gathering, casting a legal shadow over its achievements. Sonos, the whole-home wireless audio company known for its superb line of small but powerful speakers, is suing Google and alleging that the tech giant stole its intellectual property, according to The New York Times.

Recommended Videos

Sonos claims that during the time it has partnered with Google to enable the behemoth’s music service (Google Play Music) and its voice assistant (Google Assistant) on Sonos’ devices and software platform, Google was taking careful note of how Sonos created its multiroom wireless audio system. Google then, the lawsuit alleges, used that knowledge to create its own line of wireless multiroom speakers.

Related

Google now sells several smart, wireless multiroom speakers like the Google Nest Mini, Google Home, and Google Home Max. Only the Google Home Max costs more than the least expensive Sonos smart speaker.

“Google has been blatantly and knowingly copying our patented technology,” Patrick Spence, Sonos’ CEO. reportedly said. “Despite our repeated and extensive efforts over the last few years, Google has not shown any willingness to work with us on a mutually beneficial solution. We’re left with no choice but to litigate.”

Needless to say, Google sees things differently. “Over the years, we have had numerous ongoing conversations with Sonos about both companies’ IP rights and we are disappointed that Sonos brought these lawsuits instead of continuing negotiations in good faith,” a Google spokesperson told Digital Trends. “We dispute these claims and will defend them vigorously.”

The issue isn’t going away, however. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee invited Sonos to testify on January 17th as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation into the nation’s biggest tech companies, including Google. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence will testify on behalf of the company.

Amazon next?

Sonos also believes that Amazon has exhibited similar behavior, though for now, only Google is in Sonos’ legal crosshairs. Nonetheless, Amazon has also issued a statement saying: “The Echo family of devices and our multiroom music technology were developed independently by Amazon. Our focus is on building the best possible experience for our customers and partners … In fact, the Alexa flywheel is helping to generate billions of dollars for the Alexa developer and device-maker community.”

If Sonos genuinely believes that these other companies have violated its patents, it clearly needs to defend itself. But doing so could come at a heavy price, and not just in the presumably huge legal fees this action will cost. If Google decided to terminate its relationship with Sonos over the lawsuit, it would be a huge blow to Sonos.

A different world

When Sonos first established itself as a leader in the wireless audio space, streaming services were still just an idea and voice assistants were many years away from making their debut. Smart homes and the Internet of Things hadn’t become the massive buzzwords they are today. Back then, Sonos’ ability to let you stream your private MP3 collection to any room in the house without the use of speaker cables was more than enough reason to jump on board, despite the high prices.

Today, it’s a totally different world. Voice-controlled smart speakers are everywhere, they cost as little as $50 (or less), and they not only connect to the vast music libraries of the biggest streaming services, but they also act as hubs for every smart device in your home. In this new context, companies like Google and Amazon — which are effectively the only two voice assistant companies given Apple’s reluctance to license Siri to any third-party products — are the smart speaker kingmakers.

Sonos had the foresight and the ability to tweak its wireless speaker platform to be technologically agnostic. It works with virtually any streaming music service — far more than any other multiroom audio system — and, crucially, it gives its users the choice of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant on its three smart speaker products: Sonos One, Sonos Beam, and Sonos Move.

Should Google choose to sever ties with Sonos, that choice would disappear overnight, effectively making Sonos’ smart speakers Alexa-only. Worse yet, if Google decided to play an even tougher game, it could pull all support for Sonos’ products from the Google Home platform and possibly deprive Sonos users of access to its Google Play Music and YouTube Music streaming services (Google is in the midst of rebranding Google Play Music as YouTube Music).

We suspect that Sonos could probably survive both potential outcomes, but they would leave a deep wound. Google Play Music isn’t the juggernaut that is Spotify or Apple Music (both of which work with Sonos). And Google Assistant doesn’t have as many users as Amazon Alexa. But it’s getting increasingly hard to see how a company like Sonos can continue to make inroads with new customers without the help of Big Tech.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
Usually $120, these Sennheiser wireless headphones are on sale for $70
Ebay home learning sale - Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones

If you're a casual headphones user that still wants something of decent quality, the price tags can be scary. For something showing even decent levels of comfort and features the price tag usually climbs over $100. And so it is with the Sennheiser HD 350BT, which usually sit at $120. However, the rest of us can now enjoy the comfort that those willing to spring on the latest have had. While this deal lasts, you can pick up your own pair of comfy HD 350BTs for just $70. That's a savings of $50! So, pull up your chair, turn on the music, and tap the button below to get what the rest have been using for awhile now.

Why you should buy the Sennheiser HD 350BT
Sennheiser, a company that nearly always has something in our listing of the best headphones, created the HD 350BT with just a couple of things in mind. If you're familiar with the Beats headphones line, and we're sure you are, then the first objective won't surprise you; they wanted to create headphones with an intense sound profile, especially emphasizing a deep bass range. Secondly, they wanted to create a streamlined approach to headphones, using a simple and minimalist style so the average person can start using them right away without vast audiophile-level knowledge. For example, in the Sennheiser Smart Control App, you can choose between listening modes for music, news, podcasts, and films to suit your needs quickly and comfortably on the go.

Read more
YouTube TV password sharing — is that even a thing?
YouTube TV family sharing.

There's been a little bit of a to-do this week about YouTube TV cracking down on password sharing. Potentially. Ya know, like Netflix is doing. Except not really, or at all, probably. And that has to do almost entirely with how YouTube TV's account structure works.

First, some context. A few posts on Reddit stated that some family members — that is, not the primary account holder — were being asked to sign up to YouTube TV, despite already being authorized to use the service. YouTube TV allows for up to six family members to share one YouTube TV subscription, with one of them serving as the primary account. Those family members basically have to be anyone older than 13 who lives with the primary account holder.

Read more
How we test headphones and earbuds
Side view of man wearing Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones.

Our evaluation of headphone and earbuds begins the moment the product lands on our desk. We take note of the product’s packaging and presentation before diving into the unboxing.
Out of the box

Nicely packaged products can have an effect on your overall experience. But we're a lot less concerned with beauty and design than we are with a box's impact on the planet. Even a $1,000 set of headphones can be packaged responsibly -- with fully recyclable materials -- without compromising the protection offered. In 2023, most companies do a good job of this, but we'll definitely single out the ones that are still relying on heaps of plastic and foam.

Read more