[Asterisk-Users] Sprint Nextel sueing over VoIP patents

Damon Estep damon at suburbanbroadband.net
Wed Oct 5 15:06:24 MST 2005 

There has already been a reporter that reviewed the filing in Kansas
City, it had no specifics (CNET article maybe). Looks like we will have
to wait for the details after there have been further filings...


> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-
> bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of William Boehlke
> Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 3:27 PM
> To: 'Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion'
> Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] Sprint Nextel sueing over VoIP patents
> 
> 
> The specifics are normally a matter of public record in the
jurisdiction
> where the suit was filed. The suit states the patents involved and the
> infringement claim. A reading will narrow the speculation
significantly.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
> [mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Gleim,
Jason
> Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 2:06 PM
> To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
> Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] Sprint Nextel sueing over VoIP patents
> 
> I'll start with the disclaimer that I am not an attorney... nor do I
play
> one on TV...
> 
> But, a search of the US Patent & Trademark Office reveals 13 patents
> assigned to Sprint that deal with VoIP. (http://www.uspto.gov/)
> 
> 6947411
> 6944150
> 6937869
> 6909690
> 6870857
> 6868081
> 6865398
> 6741695
> 6731735
> 6697097
> 6681116
> 6556826
> 6373930
> 
> Of particular interest are the '9690, '4150, '1695, '3930 patents.
> 
> '9690 is a patent on call admission control using silence suppression
to
> better utilize network bandwidth. Specifically, it seems to deal with
a
> method to apply adaptive silence suppression at the customer site...
> presumably in the ATA.
> 
> '4150 is a patent on a 'gateway' layer to be implemented between a
> customer
> and the communications network as a means of offering and controlling
> services offered as well as optimizing the deliver of those services.
> 
> '1695 is a patent on a method to interface packet-based and circuit-
> switched
> networks. It specifically mentions SIP and other protocols and how to
> interface them to signaling and voice paths in a circuit-switched
network.
> 
> Finally, '3930 is a patent on a method to 'redirect' call setup
through a
> third party for the purposes of service restriction or authorization.
> Basically it's a method of implementing pre-paid service on a packet
> network.
> 
> 
> The only one that seems to me that would directly apply to the *
community
> may be the '4150 or '1695 patents. But I don't know enough about
patent
> law
> to know if it would be worth their time or if they would even have a
case.
> 
> There *maybe* something there too with some of the prepaid modules,
like
> AstCC, if they could argue it was hosted on a separate system. Again,
I
> don't know enough of the specifics to make an educated guess.
> 
> OK... now that I did my part to add to the FUD, maybe somebody that
knows
> more can build on what I found.
> 
> Jason
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
> [mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of John
Todd
> Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 3:05 PM
> To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
> Cc: asterisk-biz at lists.digium.com
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] Sprint Nextel sueing over VoIP patents
> 
> At 2:43 PM -0700 10/4/05, trixter http://www.0xdecafbad.com wrote:
> >
> >Sprint Nextel is sueing vonage, voiceglo and theglobe.com for
> infringing
> >on VoIP patents.  Sprint Nextel claims to have about 100 patents on
> VoIP
> >technologies.  Does anyone know which ones this article is talking
> >about, and if so does asterisk have any of those features?
> >
> >The reason I am asking is that the article is vague, Vonage uses a
> >fairly standard codec set, I dont know about the others.  So if its
not
> >codecs I wonder if its something so generic that the patent would be
> >tossed out upon challenge.
> >
> >Anyone thinking about doing a VoIP business may want to get more info
> >before proceeding since they may not have the millinos vonage has to
> >fight this.
> >
>
>http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2005/10/03/daily23
> .html
> >--
> >Trixter http://www.0xdecafbad.com     Bret McDanel
> >UK +44 870 340 4605   Germany +49 801 777 555 3402
> >US +1 360 207 0479 or +1 516 687 5200
> >FreeWorldDialup: 635378
> 
> 
> 
> This perhaps is quite relevant to the Asterisk community.
> 
> While I don't know the specifics about Vonage, I do know that they
have
> been
> rumored to have (in the past, or present) used Asterisk in their core
for
> some services.  (Voicemail?  Conference?  Messages?) This, however, is
not
> confirmed.
> 
> http://www.ilocus.com/ui_dataFiles/news18aug05.htm
>
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&lr=&newwindow=1&safe=off&c2cof
> f=1&q=%22vonage+uses+asterisk%22&btnG=Search
> 
> According to public information, Voiceglo uses IAX and Asterisk:
> 
> 
>
http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/2004-February/036311.ht
> ml
>   http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1059204,00.html
> 
> FYI: Voiceglo and theglobe.com are the same company for all intents
and
> purposes.
> 
> Therefore, I am very interested to see if this is merely co-incidental
or
> if
> there is a reason that Sprint picked out two providers that use
Asterisk
> in
> their core.  Despite hysteria or misinformation on this (and other)
lists,
> there is no direct information that I've seen that this is Sprint
making a
> blanket patent lawsuit against anyone using VoIP.  Perhaps this is
just
> some
> specific feature that they have a legitimate patent on which has been
> infringed.  I doubt this is a codec patent issue, nor an equipment
patent
> issue (as previously discussed on -biz list.)
> 
> Is there anyone with better detail on the lawsuit specifics able to
> comment?
> 
> JT
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