In January 2020, Sonos brought a patent infringement case against Google targeting Google's smart speakers, the Google Home, and later the Nest Audio line.

For those who didn’t know, Sonos originated Internet-connected speakers that easily hook up to streaming services, while Google speakers combine a similar feature set with voice-activated Google Assistant commands.

According to Sonos, Google saw the hardware in 2013, when Google agreed to build Google Play Music support for Sonos speakers. Sonos claims Google used that access to "blatantly and knowingly" copy Sonos' audio features for the Google Home speaker, which launched in 2016.

Sonos Chief Legal Officer Eddie Lazarus told the site: "Today the ALJ has found all five of Sonos' asserted patents to be valid and that Google infringes on all five patents. We are pleased the ITC has confirmed Google's blatant infringement of Sonos' patented inventions. This decision re-affirms the strength and breadth of our portfolio, marking a promising milestone in our long-term pursuit to defend our innovation against misappropriation by Big Tech monopolies."

Google insists that it does not use Sonos' technology, and competes on the quality of its products and the merits of its ideas.

“We disagree with this preliminary ruling and will continue to make our case in the upcoming review process."

A final ruling should happen on December 13, and it's not just speakers that could be banned if the two companies don't make nice. The products that connect to those speakers, like Pixels and Chromecasts, could also be banned.