As propably everyone already know that Verizon sues Vonage.
Verizon’s complaint was filed last Monday in a U.S. District Court in Virginia. It alleges that Vonage infringed on patents held by Verizon that describe technology for completing phone calls between VoIP users and people using phones on the traditional public switched network, authenticating VoIP callers, validating VoIP callers’ accounts, fraud protection, providing enhanced features, using Wi-Fi handsets with VoIP services and monitoring VoIP caller usage.
Vonage’s service uses software that turns voice signals into packets and then transmits them over broadband connections, essentially turning any Internet connection into a telephone line. Verizon sells a similar service, called VoiceWing.
there’s no easy answer to this … far too many companies are quick to sue when they think they’re missing out on income. how many years do you think it will drag on for, and how many appeals will be required before one or the other gives up or goes out of business.
personally i would be encouraging everyone i know with a Verizon account/contract to get out and tell them why. fortunately, i don’t think we have such a patent system vulnerability here !
Guys, cross your fingers.
Looks like this days in US any single line of code can get you in huge trouble. I understand software copirights and appreciate it. But software patents is like patetns for dancers. Let’s start lincensing each new move and charge for it. Why it cannot be considered as technical innovation in dancing technic?
BTW this writing cannot be read without writthen permition from writer (myself). Licenses to read my writing available at my on-line store for a reasonable price.
When were those patents granted? Patents expire after some 17 years.
I understand there is a guy who has a patent for IVR, and he has been collecting something like 5% of the gross of any company that uses IVR. The courts have supported his claims.
Does it mean if I wouldn’t use any kind of ScriptEngine but hardcode all the business logic inside the application it would not infringe this patent. All this too fishy
Man what a sorry state of affairs it is, lets just hope that Vonage appeal the decision and win, that way Verizon can get a good kick up the ass and told to pull their heads out of the sand.
Although Verizon won the first round I doubt they really care. They probably, more than anything, want it to drag on as they know they can easily outspend Vonage on lawyers so they simply want to bleed Vonage to death.
From what I’ve read, all VoiP providers from around the world have to pay a fee to Verizon and all Asterisk users must also pay a fee for the usage of the IVR…
There is a chance that if Verizon would try to touch bigger players the patants would be invalidated because of the confilict with many similar held by other companies.