Vonage Patent News - Redux

More bad news for Vonage on the patent front. As I noted in an earlier post, Vonage was found liable for patent infringement in separate suits in Missouri and Virginia. Now the Virginia verdict, for over $50 million plus 5.5% of future revenue, has been upheld on appeal, reports CNET News.com.

The verdict might be reduced somewhat on remand, because Vonage won as to one patent out of three, but the news isn't good for the co. No word on whether Vonage will appeal.

Vonage Runs Afoul of Patents - Again

A jury in Kansas City has determined that Vonage infringed six Sprint telecomm patents, and ordered the IP telco to pay $69.5 million in damages plus a 5% royalty in the future, reports Law Day Newsletter. Earlier, a jury in Virginia found the company guilty of infringing three Verizon patents, and awarded that company $58 million plus 5.5%. Combined, that'd be a royalty of over 10%. Vonage is appealing both rulings.

Big Changes Afoot in Patents?

The House has passed sweeping revisions to the patent laws, Bloomberg reports. The Senate has not yet acted on similar legislation. The House bill - which reflects Bush Administration input - would make patents harder to obtain and easier to challenge, and is supported by Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, and others.