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Well because of this I’ll never buy another Sonos product, and recommend everyone I know to something else. I wonder if lost revenue from people like me will ma

Well because of this I’ll never buy another Sonos product, and recommend everyone I know to something else. I wonder if lost revenue from people like me will make up for any gains here.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
Conversely, I’d rather buy (and intend to) from Sonos versus Google considering Google’s product track record (killing everything in short order). Using patents to defend yourself from a Big Tech company is the unfortunate reality.
- boringg 5y ago
  Fair enough - I don't really offer a great solution here.
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    I don't believe there is one. Optimize for yourself.
- jollybean 5y ago
  They weren't defending, they were attacking. Sonos didn't develop anything new or novel in this case - they patented something which arguably should not be patentable, which is the ability to adjust the volumes on all speakers at once. It's rational for companies to patent everything under the sun as a defensive moat, so they don't get themselves trolled, but this is trolling on their part. If Sonos sat on this patent, that would be fine, but they're trying to troll other companies, it doesn't matter that it's Google and we hate them, it's dumb. If Google had copied some core special tech that was the result of Sonos R&D that would be a different story.
- orangejuice101 5y ago
  Just a heads up, Sonos was going to brick working devices to convince people to upgrade but public uproar convinced them not to. https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166777/sonos-ending-recycle-mode-trade-up-program-sustainability https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166777/sonos-ending-recy...
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    Yep! I'm aware. Conversely, the AI that runs Google has never halted the shutdown of a product due to public uproar (to my knowledge). It’s nice to know which orgs will flex under public pressure towards consumer utility.
  - boringg 5y ago
    Sonos was going to brick working devices for people who were in the recycling program not quite the same as brick to convince people to upgrade. Not say its much better but not quite as ugly as your suggestion.

Well because of this I’ll never buy another Sonos product, and recommend everyone I know to something else. I wonder if lost revenue from people like me will make up for any gains here.

toomuchtodo 5y ago

Conversely, I’d rather buy (and intend to) from Sonos versus Google considering Google’s product track record (killing everything in short order). Using patents to defend yourself from a Big Tech company is the unfortunate reality.

boringg 5y ago
Fair enough - I don't really offer a great solution here.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  I don't believe there is one. Optimize for yourself.
jollybean 5y ago
They weren't defending, they were attacking. Sonos didn't develop anything new or novel in this case - they patented something which arguably should not be patentable, which is the ability to adjust the volumes on all speakers at once. It's rational for companies to patent everything under the sun as a defensive moat, so they don't get themselves trolled, but this is trolling on their part. If Sonos sat on this patent, that would be fine, but they're trying to troll other companies, it doesn't matter that it's Google and we hate them, it's dumb. If Google had copied some core special tech that was the result of Sonos R&D that would be a different story.
orangejuice101 5y ago
Just a heads up, Sonos was going to brick working devices to convince people to upgrade but public uproar convinced them not to. https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166777/sonos-ending-recycle-mode-trade-up-program-sustainability https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166777/sonos-ending-recy...
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  Yep! I'm aware. Conversely, the AI that runs Google has never halted the shutdown of a product due to public uproar (to my knowledge). It’s nice to know which orgs will flex under public pressure towards consumer utility.
- boringg 5y ago
  Sonos was going to brick working devices for people who were in the recycling program not quite the same as brick to convince people to upgrade. Not say its much better but not quite as ugly as your suggestion.