ITC Judge Orders May 2021 Target Date for Completing Sonos-Google Patent Probe

The International Trade Commission set a May 11, 2021, target date for completing its Tariff Act Section 337 investigation into Sonos allegations that Google smart speakers and other devices willfully infringe five Sonos multiroom audio patents (see 2002060070), said an “initial determination” order (login required) signed Wednesday in docket 337-TA-1191 by Chief Administrative Law Judge Charles Bullock. Sonos, Google and ITC staff agreed to propose a more customary 16-month target date to Feb. 11, 2021, but that’s “not feasible” because Bullock is working on another investigation that’s due to close a week earlier, he said. He “determined it necessary” to set a 19-month target to give himself more time to write a Sonos-Google opinion, plus tend to his other duties and account for “potential scheduling disruptions due to COVID-19,” he said.