Drunk Off Patent Success Against Vonage, Verizon Moves On To Cox

from the who's-next dept

Mon, Jan 21st 2008 3:32pm — Mike Masnick

Having successfully sued Vonage over VoIP patents, despite an inferior product and plenty of prior art, it appears that Verizon is seeing who else it can sue for VoIP patent infringement. First on the list is cable provider Cox, who offers VoIP to its customers, just like most cable providers these days. A successful lawsuit against Cox would almost definitely mean additional lawsuits against all the other cable providers, who have also been much more successful than Verizon in actually offering a VoIP service that customers find useful. Of course, in this day and age, it seems that rather than improve the product, the answer is to sue everyone else for patent infringement. Just like the Founding Fathers intended.

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Filed Under: cable companies, patents, voip
Companies: cox, verizon

11 Comments

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Tony, 21 Jan 2008 @ 4:19pm

I've read a ton of these articles at Techdirt over the past year, about bogus lawsuits and blind justice. What I'd really like to know is if any of these articles ever make it to those those people that can actually make a difference. Or is this all part of a bigger scheme to keep TechDirt in business by providing a continuous stream of articles on this subject? :P
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angry dude, 21 Jan 2008 @ 4:48pm

technonsense
"...this all part of a bigger scheme to keep TechDirt in business..." by brainwashing immature techdirt readership

Well, most of the readers of this shitty blog are already imbeciles so it doesn't make much difference at all, does it ?
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- Alfred E. Neuman, 21 Jan 2008 @ 4:54pm
  
  Re: technonsense
  AD said:
  "brainwashing immature techdirt readership"
  
  I think we all know who the immature reader is here.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 21 Jan 2008 @ 5:46pm
  
  Re: technonsense
  Calling people name make people discredit all your opinions regardless of the validity.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Tony, 21 Jan 2008 @ 6:37pm
  
  Re: technonsense
  "most of the readers of this shitty blog are already imbeciles" You're the only imbecile reading this "shitty blog". If you had any brains you would have realized that my last comment was a joke. Instead, you sound like a depressed lowlife who just needs to go outside for once and get laid. Do us all a favor and shoot yourself before posting another comment.
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  - Frenchi, 21 Jan 2008 @ 7:15pm
    
    Re: Re: technonsense
    And there are so many more flameworthy topics than a Verizon patent lawsuit, too. This is exactly why nobody takes Techdirt et al seriously enough to get things changed: making personal attacks on the questionable sexual prowess of anonymous internet users is both frowned upon in the judicial innerworkings of the patent system and a waste of time.
    
    And, since Im not one to sit idly on the side of a good flamewar, lol @ internet tough-guy getting butt-hurt over childish name calling.
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  - derek (profile), 24 Jan 2008 @ 6:11am
    
    Re: Re: technonsense
    actually, not to pry, but studies have shown that the context of emails is only correctly understood about 50% of the time. which means that its a crap shoot on whether or not a person will understand your "jokes"
    
    i don't have the link to the study anymore, but it was a pretty interesting read, might try google-ing it.
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- Asmodeus, 22 Jan 2008 @ 12:41pm
  
  Re: technonsense
  "Well, most of the readers of this shitty blog are already imbeciles"
  
  And yet, you're here...funny that.
  
  A.A.M
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Griper, 21 Jan 2008 @ 8:22pm

I was wondering when they would get around to the other VoIP providers. While Vonage was getting sued, Cox was going all out in marketing. I guess they thought it couldn't happen to them.
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rstr5105, 21 Jan 2008 @ 9:43pm

what I don't understand
What I don't understand is why the voip providers didn't all work together in counter-suing Verizon, IANAL but even if they can't "legally" form a class, (I don't know, again IANAL) Couldn't the BoD/CEO/(Some other member of the Alphabet soup) of one call another and say, "Hey, look at this, Verizon is suing Voip providers over obviously invalid patents. Let's take the fight to them."

I mean, it makes good solid sense. Except that you'd be aiding the competition, but on the same note, they'd be aiding you so, do you really lose?

Just my two cents.
And again, IANAL.
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- Anonymous jerk, 22 Jan 2008 @ 3:03am
  
  Re: what I don't understand
  Absolutely. It would be like the other countries helping the US in the (so-called) fight against terrorism. I'm not saying whether the war is right or wrong, it's just an analogy!
  While we may not agree on everything, if they would join forces, they could kick Verizon's @$$.
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