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January 25, 2008
Sprint Files Four VoIP Patent Infringement Suits
Following Verizon’s patent suits against Cox, yesterday Sprint filed four VoIP patent infringement cases against NuVox Communications, Inc., Broadvox Holdings LLC, Big River Telephone Company, and Paetec Communications, Inc . The four suits appear to be nearly identical citing infringement of the same six patents. Sprint seeks monetary damages from these companies and an injunction that would enjoin the companies from ongoing infringement. I believe all four companies are CLECs.
Like the Verizon patent suits reported earlier, these patent suits follow Sprint’s recent successful legal action against Vonage in the same Kansas court asserting infringement of seven VoIP patents. Sprint’s case against Vonage went to trial where in September of 2007, an eight-person jury found that Vonage had willfully infringed all of Sprint’s asserted patents and awarded Sprint $69.5 million in damages. The Jury also found that Vonage must pay Sprint a 5 percent royalty on future revenue. Sprint verdict was the 13th largest in the U.S. in 2007. The same patents asserted against Vonage in the 2005 case have been asserted in the four new cases.
U.S. Patent No. 6,343,084 available here Broadband telecommunications system involves multiplexing calls with an ATM network
U.S. Patent No. 6,633,561 available here Method, system and apparatus for telecommunications control
U.S. Patent No. 6,463,052 available here Method, system and apparatus for telecommunications control
U.S. Patent No. 6,452,932 available here Method, system and apparatus for telecommunications control
U.S. Patent No. 6,473,429 available here Broadband telecommunications system involving virtual connections through an ATM multiplexer
U.S. Patent No. 6,298,064 available here Broadband telecommunications system involving virtual connections through an ATM multiplexer
Sprint’s actions come the same week that it announced it was cutting 4,000 jobs, closing 125 stores, and announced major executive shake up pushing out 3 major executives. It may just be a coincidence, but this seems to be a financially motivated action.
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Tags: Sprint, Patent, Cox, Verizon, VoIP, Jeff Pulver
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Posted by jeff on January 25, 2008 05:32 AM | Permalink
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Comments
Patent Trolls!
Then again, protecting a patent is always a financially motivated action.
Posted by: Patent Infringement at May 12, 2009 12:13 AM
All these patents were "invented" by the same person - Joseph Michael Christie. Perhaps someone should do some digging and figure out exactly who this guy is and why he decided to patent SIP. :-)
Posted by: Paige at February 11, 2008 01:17 PM
Thats pretty freakin' gay if you ask me!!!!
Posted by: Ernie at January 25, 2008 02:22 PM