Monday, June 16,2008 @ 8:20pm
Visual Voicemail dispute settled, licensing deal
Apple and AT&T have reached a settlement with Klausner Technology over patent disputes, and have agreed to license the technology from the firm. AppleInsider reveals that the suit, originally filed in December, was brought against the companies in response to the iPhone's "email inbox"-style voicemail presentation, one of the original device's highly touted features. Klausner says the two companies were in violation of US Patents 5,572,576, and 5,283,818.
While officials did not release specifics on the deal, Klausner was originally seeking damages and potential royalties, approaching a sum of $360 million.
The company is also currently in dispute with Comcast and Cablevision, although it has been revealed that they are currently discussing a deal with Klausner, similar to the licensing arrangement with eBay.
The move is the latest accomplishment for the firm regarding its visual voicemail technologies, having won disputes with Time Warner and Vonage, subsequently licensing the technology to both companies.