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Do You Have Vonage? If So, Read This!
Vonage Told to Pay Verizon $58 Million Over Patents
By Jeff St.Onge and Amy Thomson March 8 (Bloomberg) -- Vonage Holdings Corp. must pay $58 million plus monthly royalties to Verizon Communications Inc. for infringing three patents on Internet-telephone service, a federal jury ruled. Vonage shares fell to a record low. Verizon, the second-largest U.S. phone company, asked for a court order banning Vonage's use of the inventions following today's verdict in Alexandria, Virginia. The order would cripple Vonage by blocking its customers' calls to standard phones, Verizon lawyer Peter McCabe said. A hearing on Verizon's request was set for March 23. ``This is a big negative surprise'' for Vonage, said Clayton Moran, an analyst with Stanford Group in Boca Raton, Florida, who rates the shares ``hold'' and doesn't own them. ``It makes it more difficult for an already challenged business to get to profitability.'' Verizon sued money-losing Vonage in June, claiming it lured away more than 1 million Verizon customers by copying voicemail and other services, as well as a method for allowing Internet calls to reach traditional phone lines. Vonage's sales more than doubled to $607.4 million last year, compared with New York- based Verizon's $88.1 billion. Shares of Vonage fell 19 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $4.86 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the lowest closing price since they were first sold to the public in May for $17 each. Verizon rose 80 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $36.48, bringing the past year's gain to 13 percent. Reversal Sought The jury found that three of five disputed patents were infringed and all five are valid. Vonage, based in Holmdel, New Jersey, said it will appeal and would ask for an immediate stay of any order halting its use of the technology. The company had accused Verizon of using the lawsuit to stifle competition. ``We expect that verdict to be reversed,'' Vonage said in a statement. ``In addition, we don't believe there is any basis to support Verizon's request for an injunction.'' Vonage has said it has the ability to design around Verizon's inventions, said John Rabena, a patent lawyer with Sughrue Mion in Washington who has followed the case. ``If there's an injunction and Vonage has a design-around, it could keep that part of the business,'' Rabena said. ``Verizon is in a pretty decent position to get an injunction.'' The damage award is less than the $197 million Verizon sought during the two-week trial. Vonage argued that if the patents were infringed, it owed no more than $69 million. Vonage reported last month that its 2006 net loss widened to $286 million from $261 million a year earlier. `Significant Victory' ``This is a significant victory for Verizon,'' Verizon lawyer Daniel Webb said in an interview. ``If a company's infringing our patents, they can be held accountable.'' The infringed patents cover a method for translating calls between an Internet network and the standard telephone network, call-waiting features and wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, handsets. Vonage was cleared of infringing two patents related to billing systems designed to prevent fraud. The royalties set by the jury of four men and four women are 5.5 percent for each Vonage customer line per month. Vonage said it has 2.2 million subscriber lines. The jurors rejected Verizon's argument that the infringement was willful. A finding in Verizon's favor would have allowed the company to ask that the damage award be tripled. `We're Satisfied' ``We're satisfied that the jury found the patents were infringing,'' Eric Rabe, a Verizon spokesman, said in an interview. ``That was our argument all along.'' Sprint Nextel Corp. separately is seeking cash compensation and a court order to stop Vonage from using disputed technology. Matt Sullivan, a spokesman for Reston, Virginia-based Sprint, declined to comment on the Verizon case. The case is Verizon Services Corp. v. Vonage Holdings, 06-cv-682, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Looks like it's time to bail on Vonage. Here's the link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6Jvlxn91M68&refer=home
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Current Stable: 01 ML55 AMG 92 500E (a few mods) 87 300E (lots of mods) 00 Chevy 3500HD Diesel Box Truck 68 18' Donzi Marine 06 GT i-Drive7 1.0 Mountain Bike (with GPS!) PREVIOUSLY OWNED:83 300SD, 87 420SEL, 88 420SEL, 90 420SEL, 86 560SEL, 86 190E 2.3-16V AMG, 94 E320 Last edited by 300EVIL; 03-09-2007 at 12:38 PM. |
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All phone calls should be free now.
Just interupt the call every 3 minutes with a commercial...just like tv If you want an ad' free call...pay for it. Pretty simple, I reckon....what you say ? .
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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ] "A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." Last edited by dkveuro; 03-09-2007 at 01:53 PM. |
#3
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Never trust a phone company who uses a lobster in a revolving door to sell its product.
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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process." 2012 SLK 350 1987 420 SEL |
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Does this mean my Verizon bills will go down?
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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles 2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed 2005 Toyota Sienna 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible 1999 Toyota Tacoma |
#5
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Do you know my Verizon bill is only 20.00 a month.
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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process." 2012 SLK 350 1987 420 SEL |
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Quote:
........and, for those of you with a Vonage VoIP service...read this http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/vonage/cancelling-vonage-difficulties.asp Does the word " Screwed' give you a clue? . .
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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ] "A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." |
#7
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No they will probably go up, Verizon needs to cover their legal fees...
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1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
#8
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How 'bout crabs? Crabs in a swinging door. Are THEY okay?
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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century OBK #55 1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles 2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles 2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles |
#9
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Crabby sales people? What about clinging, pleading, Octopi-like salesmen?
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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century OBK #55 1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles 2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles 2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles |
#10
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How do you do that Mistress?
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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles 2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed 2005 Toyota Sienna 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible 1999 Toyota Tacoma |
#11
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I use VOnage for my business & fax line & not thrilled with their service & sound quality.
Does anyone have any better suggestions for any VoIP companies? NOt for cheaper but for better quality. I pretty much call 90% domestic & 10 % everywhere else..... (They all are inexpensive so cost is not a concern...) ....
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'87 924S '81 280SEL Sold -> 81 300SD - 93 300E w/ 3.2 85 300D- 79 300SD 82 300CD 83 300CD - CA 87 190E 5 spd 87 Porsche 924S "..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..." |
#12
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My fiancee has Vonage and it's terrible. The phone makes loud noises in her ear randomly and the voice quality is substandard. Vonage customer service (if they speak English) is terrible.
Can't wait to cancel and move to a better company once we get married.
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Current: 2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles. 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's). Past: 2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13. 1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07. 1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06. 1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation. 1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver. |
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