https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/technology/sonos-sues-google.html
This will be an interesting precedent. If they win they will likely go after Amazon. Hopefully Roon would not be one of their future lawsuit targets.
I’ll say this, i’m glad I didn’t go ahead and buy a Sonos speaker for the kitchen then. I was about to because they finally support Google Assistant, of which I have other devices. If they go down the route of Suing google, they may be forced to remove this functionality and go back to only amazon!
I’ll hedge my bets for now!
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I don’t know what Sonos sales figures are like these days, but the shear amount of lower priced competition must be a major issue for them in itself. I stopped buying their kit when they clearly showed no interest in HD audio (and just mentioning it as a possible requirement would get you hounded out of their forum). Sold off my three Sonos units and replaced them all with Raspberry Pi/HAT combos within 6 months of starting with Roon.
Situations where a smaller, innovative company is being forced out by a bigger one, who just buys up/steals tech, is always a huge shame. You to have question the laws around patent infringements, they seem to favour actors who can just obfuscate and stall when claims are made against them.
That being said, I have never been a fan of Sonos, they just dont sound good to me at all. Nothing to do with their lack of interest in HD audio either, I think their speakers are just poor. That have that rattly bass sound of devices using high-powered digital amps in an attempt to extend bass in too small a cabinet IMO.
I reckon the litigation is an attempt to get a last payout on a dying business.
I wouldn’t be so quick to jump at any conclusions about Sonos having trouble. If the claims hold any truth to Sonos showing Google their tech way back before Google produced speakers and that said speakers are now with tech too similar to be dismissed as circumstances. Then why bash Sonos?
I can say that their house sound isn’t to my liking, but Sonos have actually evolved quite well the past couple of years.
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Not bashing them at all. I’d think their product niche is now pretty well occupied by countless other products though, so it’d be tough for them to survive unless they can differentiate in a manner consumers care about and that’s not readily replicable.
Everything is replicable really. That’s why brands tend to go to the fuzzy path of “experience” and “lifestyle”.
I don’t see Sonos losing its grip. I made a substantial amount of money from that stock last year, and even though it’s bumpy 2019 was quite good market wise. In a world that eat some smaller niche brands alive.
It’s also a world where the consumer is reduced to the product (Google) or you pay for it (Sonos). That world currently favors products that can be sold at loss because of their eco system is selling something else. It becomes unjust if these giants also doesn’t care about whether or not they step on some small 1500 employee businesses toes.
I think, and hope, Sonos will walk away winning both this, plus a future one against Amazon. And then also win that niche of the consumer market. There will be a bigger counter reaction towards big tech the coming years. If they don’t step out of their own shackles.
All this said without ever owning or having wanted to own a Sonos system 
Maybe this is the consequence of doing no real innovation since the initial product line 15 years ago. I mean, if you can’t even compete with products that are given away with a package of chewing gum, that are not even targeted as audio products, then you need a really good look in the mirror. I have three google home devices, and indeed payed for non of them. They sound like absolute shit. Why are these competition for Sonos in the first place anyway.
Came across the outcome the other day. This is just one of a few articles that could be of interest. Sets a new precedent for sure.
Apologies for thread resurrection but figured better than starting new on same subject.