Sprint Sues VoIP Firms

January 25, 2008

Many in the IP communications industry blame Vonage for going public, knowing full well that the way they run their business, they can never be profitable. They basically spent a fortune on customer acquisition and not enough time finding ways to generate enough revenue to be a healthy company.

Now, some in the IP communications industry blame the New Jersey-based VoIP provider for not effectively fighting the various patent suits it was involved in.

Many of the patents the telcos used against the company were based on technologies that existed before the patents were filed for according to many in the industry.

Now, the next chapter in this book unfolds as the telcos seem to be coming after others after winning their patent suits against Vonage.

The first telco to do so is Sprint, who now chasing Nuvox Communications, BroadVOX Holdings, Big River Telephone and Paetec Communications.

According to Sprint, the company has invested a great deal in its VoIP products and it cannot stand by while others take advantage of their innovations.

Of course this is all BS as hundreds of companies were years ahead of Sprint in rolling out VoIP.

It just so happens that many of these small but innovative companies didn't make it through the bubble bursting and aren't around to help Vonage win these suits. And it seems Vonage wasn't able to find any past employees of these companies to help their case.

Although I am not an attorney, it seems like it is time for the industry as a whole to come together and take on telcos who somehow believe they invented VoIP and a host of related technologies.

Anyone ever heard of VocalTec?

In a torrent of irony, these telcos are the same companies who tried to destroy VoIP for years before they started embracing it. What is the innovation -- bashing it until you start using it?

Here are details on the lawsuits.

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