Apple settles patent suit over iPhone visual voice mail
Apple has been forced to pay up to use the iPhone's visual voice mail feature.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Apple has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit over the visual voice mail system used in the iPhone by signing a license for the technology in question.
Klausner Technologies sued Apple and AT&T last December over the visual voice mail feature inside the iPhone, which lets you select and listen to voice mail from a list of messages, just like an e-mail in-box. Reuters reports that Apple, AT&T, and eBay are all now licensees to Klausner's technology, although financial terms of the deal were undisclosed.
AOL and Vonage had already signed deals with Klausner before it came after Apple and AT&T, so there was a pretty good chance it would have eventually prevailed if the case had come to trial. Reuters said Klausner's next targets are Comcast and Cablevision.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
It is very difficult to know what new techniques and 'business method' patents are out there, and what the 'inventors' think they cover. As a matter of course, most businesses never look to see which patents they may be infringing, as to do so and NOT find one that they are later found to be infringing could be construed as 'willful' infringement.
That said, I don't really see how this patent is any less obvious than a list of missed calls with caller id...unless that is patented too.
BTW, Apple does file for and receive a LOT of patents. As Seaspray0 points out, sometimes you file and someone has beaten you to the punch with a similar patent. It happens in every business. But the list of patents Apple has been granted is pretty huge.
Give your blood pressure a rest. Read about something you like for a change.
The published price being advertised all over for the new apple iphone 3G is $199?what they are not telling you is that price is only for new ATT customers and those current ATT customers who happen to be eligible for an equipment upgrade (according to ATT, upgrade eligibility is ?generally? determined by the amount of time remaining on a current contract). For all those current ATT customers who do not happen to be at the end of their contract, the actual price for you is $399 plus an $18 upgrade fee along with a new 2-year contract. ATT is penalizing their long-time, account in good standing, customers a whopping $200. Why is the actual price of the new iphone not being advertised for what it is?$399? It?s the same price as the old iphone with an increase in the data plan.
Post your 3G iPhone activation experience or opinion at:
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- by gregrt August 25, 2008 6:44 AM PDT
- I love it when they system works, and big companies get caught. Big companies trying to make profit on the back of others. ARRGGG
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