Yes and just like all tech companies.. Google steals from smaller companies to the dreamers they inspired to invent and create.
Sonos: https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/26/23739273/google-sonos-sma...
A MIT student: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18566929
I met them (they were horribly unprofessional) in 2013 around time Sonos did to discuss my audio syncing tech. Best to steal tech then bother investing into R&D. Quickest way to make more money .. steal .. spend less and make more.
I've been told I shouldn't talk about this anymore on hacker news by Dang.
I haven't mentioned my experience in years cause it's old news but Sonos court victory is new relevant news to my experience meeting Google R&D that same year.
Though I can say for sure and claim is that they were extremely and laughably unprofessional to me and I met with other tech companies then who were very professional and polite.
In 2010 when I interned there, one of my mentors said something to me that stuck with me: "Google found a hose that money pours out of, and it's name is 'online advertising'. All we do is optimize that hose, and search for another one."