[Asterisk-Users] Sprint Nextel sueing over VoIP patents

Wed Oct 5 15:14:25 MST 2005

Damon Estep wrote:
> 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...

My suspicion is that Sprint was in negotiations to acquire Vonage and 
they couldn't agree on a price so Sprint decided to sue Vonage to 
leverage their position.

Regards,

Jason
> 
> 
> 
>>-----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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-- 
Jason Becker
Director & CEO
Coalescent Systems Inc.
Enabling Open Source Telephony
403.244.8089
www.coalescentsystems.ca