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October 5, 2005
Defensive use of IPR
In many of my postings on IPR, I refer to that fact that patents can be used both as an offensive tool to push new products and as a defensive weapon against competitors. Here is an example of the use of a patent for what appears to be a defensive move: WSJ.com - Sprint Nextel Files Patent Lawsuit Against Vonage
Sprint Nextel Corp. said it filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Internet-calling company Vonage Holdings Corp., alleging it infringed on seven of its patents for sending phone calls over data networks.
The suit, which also names Internet-calling start-up Theglobe.com Inc. and its Voiceglo Holdings Inc. unit, comes a few months after Sprint Nextel and Vonage scuttled preliminary merger discussions, according to people familiar with the situation.
The legal battle comes as Vonage, the nation's largest provider of household phone service based on Internet technology, prepares for an initial public offering. The company, based in Edison, N.J., also is exploring merger possibilities, according to people familiar with the matter.
Posted by Ken Jarboe at October 5, 2005 9:03 AM
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