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Visual Voicemail Patent Holder Sues Verizon Wireless And Eight Other Companies

Matt Kapko
mocoNews.net
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 7:00 PM

If there is a lock on visual voicemail, Judah Klausner holds the key. The inventor has protected a series of patents he holds with tenacity and a track record to back it up. This time he's going after Google ( NSDQ: GOOG), Verizon Communications ( NYSE: VZ), LG Electronics (SEO: 066570), Comverse Technology, Citrix Systems, Embarq, Cox Communications, PhoneFusion and RingCentral, Reuters reports.

Klausner filed his latest patent infringement lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tyler, Tex. Tuesday, involving "visual voicemail" patents he holds in various countries dating as far back as 1992. Verizon has filed its own pre-emptive suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York earlier this month. Two months ago, Apple, *AT&T and eBay* all settled a similar suit filed by Klausner in December. He's also sued and won settlements from Time Warner, AOL ( NYSE: TWX) and Vonage Holdings. Comcast settled on a licensing deal with Klauser, he told Reuters, and he remains in talks with Cablevision. Sprint Nextel made no mistake about it; without ever being sued the carrier signed a licensing deal with Klausner that covers the voicemail features on its Samsung Instinct. In a barrage of suits filed last December, Klauser said he was seeking $360 million in damages and royalties from seven companies. The new lawsuit targets nine companies.

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Apple and AT&T Settle Patent Lawsuit Over Visual Voicemail

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