VoIP-Pal again accuses Apple of patent infringement with FaceTime, iMessage, Wi-Fi Calling...

Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2018
Patent holder VoIP-Pal has launched a new set of lawsuits against Apple, once more accusing the iPhone maker of infringing a collection of four voice over IP patents with the iMessage, FaceTime, and Wi-Fi Calling functions.

iPhone 6


Filed on Thursday to the U.S. District Court of Nevada, the suit by VoIP-Pal against Apple claims the tech giant infringes on a group of patents with exactly the same name. The "Producing Routing Messages for Voice Over IP Communications" have patent numbers 9,537,762, 9,813,330, 9,826,002, and 9,948,549, and while the first thee were granted during 2017, the last was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018.

The four all appear to relate to how communications are classified in a telecommunications system, specifically how to operate call and message routing between users. This also includes selecting the most appropriate route for a call and message to travel, such as iMessage communications passing through Apple's own network if both users have iOS devices, or through the standard SMS service if one party uses another telecommunications device.

FaceTime is also identified as an app potentially violating the patents, due to using user profiles to classify communications between the two parties. Wi-Fi Calling is included because an iPhone could elect to communicate through either Wi-Fi or a cellular network, using whichever is deemed most appropriate at the time.

VoIP-Pal has demanded a jury trial over the suit, and wants damages for past, continuing, and future infringements, enhancement of damages for Apple's willful infringement, attorney fees, and a compulsory ongoing license fee for its technology from Apple. The value of damages VoIP-Pal wants is not mentioned in the court filing.

The new lawsuit is the latest to be issued against Apple by VoIP-Pal. In May 2016, Apple was served a lawsuit over two similar routing and classification patents, again against iMessage and Wi-Fi Calling, with VoIP-Pal claiming it deserved over $2.8 billion in damages.

In January 2018, Apple looked to reverse a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board that upheld the validity of the VoIP-Pal patents. At the time, Apple's lawyers claim VoIP-Pal made contact with officials that went undiscolsed to Apple, and allegedly resulted in three judges who previously issued a preliminary ruling in favor of Apple being substituted.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    These stupid claims are getting old. Apple doesn't infringe anybody's patents.
    magman1979
  • Reply 2 of 11
    pslicepslice Posts: 151member
    Let’s see how we can sue Apple. They have lots of money, I think it’s about time these nuisance cases are stopped!
    andrewj5790olsjbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 11
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    nunzy said:
    These stupid claims are getting old. Apple doesn't infringe anybody's patents.
    Infringement isn’t necessarily done on purpose. The jungle of patents to navigate in the process of creating new products is thick with obscure information and potential pitfalls.
    nunzymagman1979muthuk_vanalingamjony0cornchip
  • Reply 4 of 11
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    These were awarded in 2017 and 2018. Haven’t these ideas already been patented prior to this? Apple’s been using them for years. 
    edited May 2018 olsadamcmagman1979jbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 11
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    And so are Android devices...and cable companies...
    Why are they targeting Apple only?? What a SCUM.
    They should pay whatever fees incurred if they lost...
    racerhomie3magman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 11
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Wait a second:
    The "Producing Routing Messages for Voice Over IP Communications" have patent numbers 9,537,762, 9,813,330, 9,826,002, and 9,948,549, and while the first thee were granted during 2017, the last was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018.
    iMessage, FaceTime, and WiFi Calling all predate that. They existed as patented technologies or public domain technologies before the patents were issued. These patents should never have been issued.
    olsmagman1979jony0jbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 11
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    DAalseth said:
    Wait a second:
    The "Producing Routing Messages for Voice Over IP Communications" have patent numbers 9,537,762, 9,813,330, 9,826,002, and 9,948,549, and while the first thee were granted during 2017, the last was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018.
    iMessage, FaceTime, and WiFi Calling all predate that. They existed as patented technologies or public domain technologies before the patents were issued. These patents should never have been issued.
    I looked at the first patent listed and it had pages of referenced patents. Don’t understand this since it looks like they’re simply trying to get a patent based on work done by 1000 others. Company located in Bellevue, WA, real close to Microsoft headquarters. 
    jbdragoncornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 11
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    In patent claims from such troll entity without real products, they know will loose most but hope to win one.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 11
    Patent-Troll... is a Patent-Troll... is a Patent-Troll.
    jbdragonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 11
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    rob53 said:
    DAalseth said:
    Wait a second:
    The "Producing Routing Messages for Voice Over IP Communications" have patent numbers 9,537,762, 9,813,330, 9,826,002, and 9,948,549, and while the first thee were granted during 2017, the last was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in April 2018.
    iMessage, FaceTime, and WiFi Calling all predate that. They existed as patented technologies or public domain technologies before the patents were issued. These patents should never have been issued.
    I looked at the first patent listed and it had pages of referenced patents. Don’t understand this since it looks like they’re simply trying to get a patent based on work done by 1000 others. Company located in Bellevue, WA, real close to Microsoft headquarters. 
    I haven't looked at the patent in which you mention, but I've never seen a patent that didn't reference other works. I thought they did that to specifically show they did their research to say we're aware of that patent, but our idea is different in this way.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    benjwribenjwri Posts: 2member
    How can a patent be fired while sonething has been invented? Surely I could just go and patent a smartphone and make billions by this logic. 
    watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.