Sprint Nextel Throws Patent Suit at Vonage

By Geoff Duncan Published October 4, 2005

A subsidiary of telephone and mobile phone giant Sprint Nextel has filed suit n a Kansas City, Kansas, court against VOIP provider Vonage and Voiceglo, alleging the companies have willfully infringed on seven technology patents owned by Sprint Nextel. The suit seeks injunctions against Vonage, Voiceglo, and theglobe.com from "misappropriating Sprint Nextel’s technology and infringing Sprint Nextel’s patents," as well as unspecified monetary damages.

Vonage is currently the largest VOIP provider in the United States, having just cleared the one-million subscriber mark and reportedly preparing for a Wall Street IPO. Voiceglo/theglobe.com offers a software-based phone for Windows called GloPhone, enabling computer-to-computer and computer-to-phone VOIP calls.

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Sprint Nextel has not disclosed the nature of the seven patents it claims the companies have infringed, leaving analysts to wonder what Vonage and Voiceglo are doing which singles them out for such legal action from Sprint Nextel that, say, VOIP provider Skype is not. However, a Sprint Nextel spokesperson has been quoted as saying the company had been in discussions with both Vonage and Voiceglo over the patents for more than a year, which may imply that other VOIP companies have reached patent licensing or other agreements with Sprint Nextel.

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

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