Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

While big bad wolves of mobile business’ like AT&T and Verizon watched from distance, Other US Cell Phone companies are buzzing around Google like those bees in Jerry Seinfeld’s movie, Bee Movie. Current supporters of OHA include, include Motorola, Qualcomm, Sprint Nextel and Deutsche Telekom, parent of wireless operator T-Mobile, among many others.
"We’ve been one of the most vocal (companies) in developing on open platforms, and this is an accelerator to what we’re doing," said Motorola CEO Ed Zander on a call with reporters Monday. Bu I only thing I saw so far open about Motorola are those clam shell phones that you have to open to dial! But it is nice to see these people singing the "Open Source" song!
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs not to be out done selected current green buzzword to explain it’s business plans, "The wireless ecosystem is constantly changing, and we’re enabling a new ecosystems of partners like Google and others to go mobile."
Inspiration from "Going gaga over Google mobile" by Stephanie N. Mehta

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Vonage Settles the patent lawsuit with Verizon as well. May be this was inspired by the settlement Vonage did earlier with Sprint Nextel Company. I hope the can also address the AT&T lawsuit and move on to do real VoIP IP Telephony business.

Following is the news release;

HOLMDEL, N.J., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — In June 2006, Verizon Services Corp. brought a lawsuit against Vonage Holdings Corp. to enforce several Verizon patents relating to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

In March 2007, a jury held that Vonage is infringing three valid Verizon patents. The jury awarded $58 million in damages. The trial judge subsequently issued an injunction which was stayed pending Vonage’s appeal.

In September 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the trial court’s decisions on infringement, validity, and injunction as to two of the Verizon patents (the ‘574 and ‘711) and remanded as to the third patent (the ‘880). Vonage filed a petition for rehearing which is pending in the Court of Appeals.

Today the parties have agreed to resolve the patent lawsuit. The terms of the resolution depend on how the Court of Appeals decides Vonage’s pending petition for rehearing regarding two of the Verizon patents (the ‘574 and ‘711). If Vonage wins rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent or if the injunction is vacated as to the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, Vonage will pay Verizon $80 million. If Vonage does not win rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, or if the stay is lifted reinstating the injunction, Vonage will pay Verizon $117.5 million.

The parties are pleased to have resolved this matter.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Vonage Settles the patent lawsuit with Verizon as well. May be this was inspired by the settlement Vonage did earlier with Sprint Nextel Company. I hope the can also address the AT&T lawsuit and move on to do real VoIP IP Telephony business.

Following is the news release;

HOLMDEL, N.J., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — In June 2006, Verizon Services Corp. brought a lawsuit against Vonage Holdings Corp. to enforce several Verizon patents relating to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

In March 2007, a jury held that Vonage is infringing three valid Verizon patents. The jury awarded $58 million in damages. The trial judge subsequently issued an injunction which was stayed pending Vonage’s appeal.

In September 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the trial court’s decisions on infringement, validity, and injunction as to two of the Verizon patents (the ‘574 and ‘711) and remanded as to the third patent (the ‘880). Vonage filed a petition for rehearing which is pending in the Court of Appeals.

Today the parties have agreed to resolve the patent lawsuit. The terms of the resolution depend on how the Court of Appeals decides Vonage’s pending petition for rehearing regarding two of the Verizon patents (the ‘574 and ‘711). If Vonage wins rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent or if the injunction is vacated as to the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, Vonage will pay Verizon $80 million. If Vonage does not win rehearing on either the ‘574 or ‘711 patent, or if the stay is lifted reinstating the injunction, Vonage will pay Verizon $117.5 million.

The parties are pleased to have resolved this matter.

Source: voipcentral.org

“Controversy!” — It is chasing Vonage all the way. No sooner, it solves one controversy; another drags the troubled VoIP startup to the court of law. It is now hard to see when the beleaguered Vonage will come up with a clean face.

According to media reports, AT&T has sued Vonage in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin claiming patent infringement by the latter.

AT&T says Vonage is unlawfully using their wide-area packet technology system and insists Vonage to refrain from using the platform. The company is also seeking treble damages and attorneys fees from Vonage. However, the amounts were not mentioned.

Just a few days ago, Vonage settled two legal disputes. The latest one was with Klausner Technologies and reached out an agreement to use their patents relating to voicemail services.

Prior to that, the residential VoIP service provider agreed to pay some $80 million to Sprint Nextel as part of the settlement. In return, Sprint Nextel has granted more than 100 VoIP patents to Vonage.

Vonage is still fighting a legal battle with Verizon Communication. The residential VoIP company was ordered to pay $58 million in damages, plus 5.5 percent royalties on future revenues for the violation of three Verizon patents.

Via: Information Week

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Looks like Vonage does not have a place to hide these days. AT&T Inc. on Friday has filed a lawsuit against VOIP provider Vonage, seeking damages for alleged patent infringement. The case was filed in Western District of Wisconsin.
Why Wisconsin? you may NOT ask but Russell Shaw at ZDNet thinks that there could be more to this;
"Less consequential, but more head-scratching: why the filing in Western Wisconsin? Is this an attempt on AT&T’s part to seek a decision in a U.S. Court their lawyers perceive to be friendly toward patent holders?"

AT&T alleged that Vonage wilfully infringed an AT&T patent related to telephone systems that allow people to make VOIP (voice-over-Internet Protocol) calls using standard telephone devices.

I think it is big corporations not wanting to share what could be theirs. Or perhaps get them while they are down. On the other hand is it not the same allegation that Vonage just settled with Sprint Nextel?, more than 100 patents covering technology for connecting calls from a traditional phone network to an IP network?. So may be AT&T has to sue Sprint Nextel as well.

Source: voipcentral.org

VoIP startup Vonage has settled down a legal dispute with Klausner Technologies and reached out an agreement to use their patents relating to voicemail services. This is the second major settlement of Vonage this week.

Earlier this week, the VoIP pioneer agreed to pay some $80 million to Sprint Nextel as part of the settlement. In return, Sprint Nextel has granted more than 100 VoIP patents to Vonage.

It is nice to learn that Vonage is trying to come out of legal hassles and focus on its core business, which in the long turn will help the company to rebuild its brand image in the market.

Judah Klausner-founded Klausner Technologies sued Vonage last year claiming Vonages voicemail platform infringes its technology and sought $180 million damages.

Klausner Technologies controls nearly 25 patents relating to IP-based voicemail services. The company had earlier allowed AOL to use its voicemail patent.

Vonage is still fighting a legal battle with Verizon Communication. The residential VoIP company was ordered to pay $58 million in damages, plus 5.5 percent royalties on future revenues for the violation of three Verizon patents.

Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals has vacated the $58 million judgment against the residential VoIP player under the ground that the lower court had wrongly interpreted one of the three patents.

Source: voipcentral.org

In a significant development, Vonage has settled down the two years old patent dispute with Sprint Nextel and agreed to pay nearly $80 million. They have now reached out a new agreement under which Vonage would use Sprint patents for its VoIP services.

Off $80 million, $35 million is for the past use of the license, $40 million for a fully-paid future license and $5 million in prepayment for services.

Vonage will now access to Sprint VoIP portfolio that includes more than 100 patents covering different methods, components and systems required for residential VoIP services.

Vonage said,

We are pleased to resolve our dispute with Sprint and enter into a productive future relationship. We believe this deal is good news for Vonage, our customers and our shareholders.

Earlier, Vonage was ordered to pay Sprint $69.5 million in damages for infringing six patents. A jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, issued the order on September 25th, 2007.

The US-based residential VoIP player is yet to resolve its patent dispute with Verizon Communications.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Sprint Nextel board has sent Forsee to the planks. I do not know much about him but I liked Sprint as a mobile service aout of all the wireless services, Verizon (Least liked), AT&T (Current with Sprint) and T-Mobile (Used for a short period). Whatever the board thinks, Company was better under him and I hope it continues to provide the same service if not better! Following is an excerpt from TheStreet.com;

"Forsee had served as the company’s chairman, president and chief executive, and a committee of the Sprint Nextel board has been formed to conduct a search for a new chief.

James Hance Jr., a member of the board, will take on the role of acting nonexecutive chairman, the company said Monday afternoon. Paul Saleh, Sprint Nextel’s chief financial officer, will be interim CEO until a permanent replacement for Forsee is named.

Forsee’s departure doesn’t appear to have been solely his choice, and indeed Sprint Nextel director Irvine Hockaday said in a press release that the decision to seek another CEO was based on the board’s belief that the time was right "to put in place new leadership to move the company forward in improving its performance and realizing corporate objectives.""

Thestreet.com post

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Vonage has settled a patent dispute with Sprint Nextel Corp. by agreeing to pay Sprint about $80 million, the two companies announced Monday. This will allow ailing/failing VoIP company to remain in the IP Telephony world a little longer.
According to Sprint-Nextel, as part of the agreement, Sprint will license Vonage its VoIP portfolio, which includes more than 100 patents covering methods and components to connect voice calls between a traditional telephone networks and an IP networks.
The agreement announced Monday resolves the patent dispute,which Vonage had originally said it planned to appeal, Sprint said in a press release.
The break down of the $80 Million, and the business agreement includes $35 million for past use of Sprint’s licenses, $40 million for future licensing, and $5 million in prepayment for services from Sprint,
Just this news brought thr beaten-down shares of Vonage Holdings Corp. to more than double in value Monday after the Internet phone company said it had settled a patent suit filed by Sprint Nextel Corp.The shares gained $1.42 to close at $2.57.
The settlement does not put all of Vonage’s legal troubles behind it. In March, another jury awarded Verizon Communications Inc. $58 million in damages, plus 5.5 percent royalties on future revenues after finding that Vonage violated three Verizon patents. Litigation continues in that suit. Vonage denies infringement and says it has deployed workarounds for two of the patented technologies.
Sprint News Release.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Vonage has settled a patent dispute with Sprint Nextel Corp. by agreeing to pay Sprint about $80 million, the two companies announced Monday. This will allow ailing/failing VoIP company to remain in the IP Telephony world a little longer.
According to Sprint-Nextel, as part of the agreement, Sprint will license Vonage its VoIP portfolio, which includes more than 100 patents covering methods and components to connect voice calls between a traditional telephone networks and an IP networks.
The agreement announced Monday resolves the patent dispute,which Vonage had originally said it planned to appeal, Sprint said in a press release.
The break down of the $80 Million, and the business agreement includes $35 million for past use of Sprint’s licenses, $40 million for future licensing, and $5 million in prepayment for services from Sprint,
Just this news brought thr beaten-down shares of Vonage Holdings Corp. to more than double in value Monday after the Internet phone company said it had settled a patent suit filed by Sprint Nextel Corp.The shares gained $1.42 to close at $2.57.
The settlement does not put all of Vonage’s legal troubles behind it. In March, another jury awarded Verizon Communications Inc. $58 million in damages, plus 5.5 percent royalties on future revenues after finding that Vonage violated three Verizon patents. Litigation continues in that suit. Vonage denies infringement and says it has deployed workarounds for two of the patented technologies.
Sprint News Release.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Walt Disney Co. said Thursday that it would stop its Disney Mobile phone service at the end of the year and also end sales immediately, the second time in a year that the huge conglomerate has orchestrated a quick closing of a cellphone operation. Earlier it shutdown Mobile ESPN another niche offering. illustrates the challenges of competing with national wireless carriers that own their networks.
Disney, like many other so-called mobile virtual network operators, leased network capacity from one of the major carriers — Sprint Nextel Corp., in Disney’s case.
More the reason those upcoming spectrum’s be open and sold with requirements set out by FCC. No wonder Verizon does not like it.

The service had been targeted at the communications needs of families and children, offering features designed to enable parents to know where their children are and help youths learn to use cellphones responsibly, and of course to make money with it’s popular brand.
The phones were equipped to display the location of a user’s handset on a map, limit when and how the phone was used and set limits on expenditures.

The company said it became clear it would have to invest far more in the product to boost sales than could be justified. Exclusive deals cut between large retailers and mobile carriers made it too hard for Disney to get its product in front of customers, the company said.

Source: voipcentral.org

Vonage has been marred with patent controversy once again. The Kansas City Federal court has asked the VoIP giant to pay $69.5 million fine for infringing patents of Sprint Nextel. It is yet another blow for Vonage, which is still struggling to come out from Verizon wraps with all constant efforts.

It is the second major patent lawsuit against Vonage, which has lost a $58 million lawsuit earlier this year leaving the VoIP giant in a state of dismay.

Vonage is now all set to appeal the case in the higher court.

Sharon OLeary, the chief legal officer at Vonage noted,

We are disappointed that the jury did not recognize that our technology differs from that of Sprints patents.

Sprint Nextel filed a lawsuit against Vonage two years ago alleging the latter had infringed its seven VoIP patents.

Vonage had earlier lost the patent infringement case filed by Verizon and was ordered to pay $58m in damages, pay a 5.5 per cent royalty to Verizon, and injected not to register any new customers.

Vonage had challenged the ruling in the higher court. The case is pending.