[dllthomas]

> If Google decided to redevelop things from scratch based on that idea, as they claimed, they owe nothing to Sonos.

That's not how patents work. If Google had never heard of Sonos and independently developed a connected speaker, and the result was too similar to what the patent covers, then Google would owe Sonos. Less than if the infringement were willful, but it's still infringement per the law.