Google doesn't want to pay Sonos for technology it copied

Post by cma » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:32 PM UTC

ceras wrote: post #141

strikelaserclaw wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kinda crappy but i'm sure google has tons of patents on things we would find trivial as well, as far as i'm concerned, let shitty mega corps duke it out.

Not all companies have an aggressive patent strategy. Historically, I believe Google felt negatively about software patents, and had fewer than other tech companies. Eventually they bought a large portfolio of patents (e.g. through the Motorola acquisition; when they later sold Motorola, they kept the patents) so that they could use them defensively, because not having enough patents became a liability. Even after th…

Post by nathanyz » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

esens wrote: post #118

alok-g wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The system has not been able to define a solid test for "non-obviousness" which is one of the criteria for patentability. As a result, in my experience, approvals are based most notably on "novelty" -- If no one has seemingly done in the past, it tends to get approved. In my opinion, that's what has gone wrong with the system, i.e., not the theoretical criteria for patentability but its execution.

The core problem is that for someone knowledgeable in the field, everything becomes straightforward, but the further away you are from the field, the more novel it becomes -- this is true across the board. Even the great accomplishments where people win Nobel prizes, often it can be argued that it was going to happen anyhow because it was the next step in scientific progress given the context. Thus defining "non-obvi…

Post by halpert » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:44 PM UTC

lostmsu wrote: post #111

halpert wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From my reading of the patent, it's not that the concept of speaker groupings was patented. Rather, a specific UI for showing and modifying the groupings and adjusting the volume. Unfortunately, there aren't many different ways to represent groupings in a UI.

Doesn't regular volume slider controls multiple remote speakers in case of connected Bluetooth headphones?

Post by lostmsu » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:44 PM UTC

oarsinsync wrote: post #122

lostmsu wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't regular volume slider controls multiple remote speakers in case of connected Bluetooth headphones?

Depends on whether you consider a pair of bluetooth headphones as a single device or multiple devices. I'm unaware of many devices that output audio to multiple distinct bluetooth targets simultaneously. Bose have that feature as part of their app, but I don't think it's a standard thing as a rule.

Post by betterunix2 » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:50 PM UTC

iratewizard wrote: post #148

lkxijlewlf wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the world we're moving towards. I was recently looking at the Opal C1. Looks great. $300 is a bit rich, but the kicker was they want $4/month for the software! Now, maybe the camera will function without it? I dunno, I kinda stopped right there and didn't look further because that turned me off.

Key fobs, cameras, and everything else wrapped up with a subscription service. Appliances built to fail so that you won't mind renting every major purchase in your house. Single family homes being bought up by REITs like Blackrock, so a larger proportion of the population has to rent for life. Endless printing of money to devalue what you have and enrich the architects of the broken system. Useless idiots fighting to…