ITC Commissioner Recuses Herself From Probe Into Sonos Complaint Against Google

Commissioner Rhonda Schmidtlein is recusing herself and her staff from participating in the International Trade Commission’s Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into Sonos allegations that Google smart speakers and other devices infringed Sonos multiroom audio patents, said her memorandum (login required) dated Wednesday and posted Thursday in docket 337-TA-1191. Schmidtlein, a Democrat, also recused herself from the ITC’s Feb. 5 vote to open the investigation (see 2002060070). The agency declined comment on her recusals.