Sonos, Google to ‘Explore Reasonable Possibilities’ for Patent Settlement, They Tell ITC

Sonos plans to produce “relevant” evidence to “establish” that Google is guilty of Tariff Act Section 337 violations through the “unlawful importation” of smart speakers and other goods that infringe its multiroom audio patents, said Sonos in a joint discovery statement (login required) it and Google filed Wednesday in docket 337-TA-1191 at the International Trade Commission. Google denies the allegations, saying the Sonos patents are “invalid,” but will produce evidence “concerning the proper scope of any remedy” if the ITC decides in favor of Sonos, it said. Commissioners voted Feb. 5 to open an investigation into the Sonos complaint, which seeks an import ban on a wide range of Google products (see 2002060070). Google served Sonos Feb. 13 with discovery requests for 16 classifications of evidence, including information on “the alleged significant investment in plant and equipment” Sonos spent to bring its multiroom audio products to market and how many employees it hired, said the statement. Sonos also served Google with discovery papers, but the statement didn’t say when it did so or what it asked for. Sonos and Google agree to “participate in settlement conferences and mediation,” and will “explore reasonable possibilities for settlement,” they said.