By Sebastian Herrera 

This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (January 8, 2020).

Wireless-speaker maker Sonos Inc. accused Alphabet Inc.'s Google in a lawsuit on Tuesday of stealing its technology and infringing on its patents, escalating tensions between the once-close partners.

Sonos is seeking a ban on the sale of Google's speakers, smartphones and laptops in the U.S., as well as financial compensation, in a suit filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The relationship between the two companies, which had matched Sonos' speakers with Google services, has soured as Google built a growing speaker business, challenging Sonos in its own industry.

"Google has been blatantly and knowingly copying our patented technology in creating its audio products," Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said in a statement Tuesday. While Google remains "an important partner," the two parties haven't been able to find a solution, he added.

A Google spokesman said the company disputes the claims by Sonos and is "disappointed that Sonos brought these lawsuits instead of continuing negotiations in good faith."

The suit claimed that Google gained knowledge, as early as 2013, of Sonos's patented wireless multiroom technology, which allows a listener hear music in different rooms, through a partnership that integrated Google's music streaming system into Sonos speakers.

The suit also accused Google of beginning to infringe on a Sonos patent in 2015 when it launched its first wireless audio product, Chromecast Audio, and has continued to infringe on other patents as its launched more speaker products. Sonos owns more than 750 patents in the U.S. related to audio technology, the company said in the suit.

After stealing its technology, the lawsuit alleged, Google used its dominance to flood the market and expand its product offerings, which now include premium and mini editions of its Google Home speaker.

"These actions have caused significant damage to Sonos," the company said in its lawsuit.

Sonos, which developed the market, has seen its market share shrink as Amazon.com and Google have become market leaders. Amazon shipped about 10.5 million smart speakers in the three-month period ending in September, while Google shipped 6 million, according to Strategy Analytics.

Meanwhile, Sonos sold a total of 6.1 million speakers in the 12-month period -- not the three-month period as with its rivals -- ending in September, according to a company filing.

Sonos said in the suit it first raised infringement claims with Google in August 2016 and has notified the company multiple times since on infringement violations. Google failed to respond adequately, Sonos said, and instead created more products using its technology.

Write to Sebastian Herrera at Sebastian.Herrera@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 08, 2020 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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