Comments on: Doubts raised over Verizon VoIP patents http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:29:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Vonage: no workaround, we're pretty much screwed http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142036 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:45:18 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142036 [...] Tier 1 research analyst Daniel Berninger points out that it’s actually possible that Verizon’s [...]

]]> By: Verizon VOIP VoiceWing Offer on CashSurfers.com « verizon voip http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142035 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:15:38 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142035 [...] Doubts raised over Verizon VoIP patents « GigaOMDoubts raised over Verizon VoIP patents « GigaOMAnother Verizon VoIP service, geared toward small businesses and enterprises and probably debuting next year … [...]

]]> By: Doubts raised over Verizon VoIP patents « GigaOM « verizon voip http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142034 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:51:00 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142034 [...] Doubts raised over Verizon VoIP patents « GigaOMAnother Verizon VoIP service, geared toward small businesses and enterprises and probably debuting next year, will run over a fully managed network to … [...]

]]> By: Court to Vonage: Go ahead and add subs for now… « insignificant thoughts http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142033 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:40:39 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142033 [...] out, most notably that the patents Verizon was awarded were discussed in public by other companies before they were granted their patents. in a note published to his clients, Tier 1 Research analyst Daniel Berninger (also a guest [...]

]]> By: A View from Home » Saying Goodbye to Vonage http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142028 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:07:27 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142028 [...] is imploding. Let’s say for the sake of argument the patent thing is a non-issue and Verizon can’t take Vonage down. Vonage’s biggest problem is Vonage. We’ve [...]

]]> By: Arlo Gilbert http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142032 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:36:43 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142032 Great news if it’s true. While prior art doesn’t necessarily invalidate the patent immediately (only more litigation plus the prior art can do that)… if it’s true this might get them an extended stay of the ruling.

]]> By: Sergio http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142030 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:15:02 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142030 I was considering exactly the same points that Barlow raised. VoIP has been around in one form or another before Verizon’s patents were filed. I am certainly no IP expert, but this really seems to be both a prior art and painfully obvious. If Verizon does truly have the rights to all VoIP related technology, then it follows that every single company that is operating such a service will either have to pay royalties, or if Verizon wants to be really evil, fold up shop. That makes no sense on a number of levels, beyond that fact that Verizon has waited over a decade to start defending their ‘patents’.

The entire purpose of the patent system is to allow inventors (of true inventions) to be rewarded for their creativity by getting a time-period to develop and bring to fruition their ideas. This whole debacle is the embodiment of everything that has recently gone wrong with the patent system. Patents are no longer granted on merit but are granted based on how much the applicant can afford to pay for a patent lawyer.

The patent system is screaming for reform. Poorly granted patents, patent trolls, and all these kinds of egregious events stifle business and hurt the consumer–polar opposites from the goals of the patent system when it was conceived.

(Incidentally, Om, do you have a figure on how many VoIP companies are currently opperating?)

]]> By: Steve Morsa http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142031 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:44:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142031 Ooops–you’re right, Om; thanks.

Meant to say “Verizon”…and “Verizon” patents.

Given its criticality, I’d be surprised (shocked, really) if Vonage’s legal team didn’t already search wide and dig deep for ANY prior art with which to attempt to invalidate the Verizon patents…

…thing is, even if there really is invalidating prior art, such as Daniel believes, it may already be too late to matter.

And to all those who trash “we’re just looking for small licensing fees” “patent trolls”…I’d like to ask them this:

Would they rather see such patent holders earn licensing fees from companies like Vonage…than watch competitors like Verizon shut such companies down entirely?

How do you suppose the Vonage employees would answer the question?

]]> By: Barlow Keener http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142029 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:21:18 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142029 In order to make use of the prior art in the Vonage case, the Vonage legal team needs to start reaching out in a public way to the early VoIP users and designers. Recall that Net2Phone was operational in 1996 and by March 2000 Dialpad.com was providing calls from VoIP (using name translation) to the PSTN. DialPad was advertising and operational a mere 2 months after Patent ’574, the key patent, was filed. In the Katz patent cases, Computer Telephony participated by publicly requesting prior art and “hosting” it. Prior art could be hosted on the Wiki. However, if the Vonage legal team does not take action by focusing on the publicly gathered prior art, then a precedent that does not serve the industry as a whole will be set.

]]> By: Eideard http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142027 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:30:47 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142027 Your point is well taken. Geeks often point an accusing finger at “intellectual property” aggregators whose only economic function is raping successful ventures.

Our mistake is considering these vultures an isolated phenomenon – when our captains of industry have practiced this sort of greedy self-defense for decades.

]]> By: Aniq Rahman http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142024 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:17:57 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142024 Vonage is done for — and their investors know it. FiscalTimes.com has a report on what exactly they’re up to. Essentially, they are done for.

http://fiscaltimes.com/2007/04/13/vonage-keeps-investors-on-hold/

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142026 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 06:13:25 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142026 Steve

just one thing i would like to clarify is that this has nothing to do with vonage. it is prior art issue with verizon’s patents.

my instincts tell me that this is going to get quite complicated and ugly.

]]> By: Steve Morsa http://gigaom.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142025 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:54:34 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/will-vonage-get-a-lifeline/#comment-142025 Om…let me prepare you for what you’re most likely (not) going to hear from Vonage…

Due to their high level of complexity (which media-contact type folks as you know virtually never get into)…and; more critically to Vonage; the potential invalidation risks to their patents should their executives go on the record with statements which can–and will–be used against their patents by others; we’re (understandably) likely to hear no more than, “No comment,” or “We are confident of our [IP/patents]…” or “We will vigorously defend our [IP/patents” type responses…

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