Charter Sues Verizon Claims telco is violating four patents with FiOS Charter Communications has filed suit against Verizon, alleging that the telco's fiber to the home FiOS service violates four patents, according to Star Telegram. Verizon should be forced to pay damages and stop using the on-demand and other technologies covered by the patents without permission, according to a Charter complaint filed in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia. Verizon's deep pockets might be appealing to the struggling cable operator, Verizon spending $24 billion on FiOS upgrades alone. Meanwhile, Charter owes nearly that much in debt: $21 billion.
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 Rob2647
join:2008-08-12
Rochester, MI | What I don't get... is that Charter is coming out with this suit now? Sounds like they are gold digging. If they can't handle the competition, then they may as well go belly up. | |
|  | | | Re: What I don't get... I don't get it either. Why did they wait until Vonage was well established before they sued them? Karma is a bitch. | |
| |  cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5
 ·Frontier FiOS
| Unlike trademarks that must be defended early on before it becomes diluted, patents can be sat on for a period of time before a lawsuit is filed. If Charter knew that Verizon was infringing and sat on it, allowing Verizon's use to grow in the hopes to increase what could be recovered in a lawsuit, then damages may be limited. However if Charter informed Verizon very early on of the violation but continued to use it or if Verizon knew that it was violating the patent, then damages may be increased. | |
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 Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4
2 edits |  Charter paying back Verizon for their patent lawsuit
»www.star-telegram.com/100/story/1129882.html
Verizon sued Charter in February 2007 in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, claiming infringement on eight patents for providing telephone services on a data network. That case is pending. End result will probably be an out-of-court settlement where they drop the lawsuits against each other.
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|  GlobalMindDomino Dude, POWER Systems GuyPremium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL | Seriously? It seems to me that Charter's the last one who would have standing to do this. And if Verizon's infringing, you're telling me no one else is? Do they have a license in place for Comcast and others?
Sounds like SCO's "business model by lawsuit" methodology.
FAIL.
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| |  mb
join:2000-07-23
Washington, NJ | Re: Seriously? Does Verizon vs Vonage ring a bell? This is just the new way of doing business... | |
| |  HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:1 | said by GlobalMind:It seems to me that Charter's the last one who would have standing to do this. And if Verizon's infringing, you're telling me no one else is? Do they have a license in place for Comcast and others? Doesn't matter if others are also doing it. If Charter won against Verizon, when they sue the next party, they use the 'Charter vs Verizon' case as precedent. | |
| | | GlobalMindDomino Dude, POWER Systems GuyPremium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL | Re: Seriously? said by Hall:said by GlobalMind:It seems to me that Charter's the last one who would have standing to do this. And if Verizon's infringing, you're telling me no one else is? Do they have a license in place for Comcast and others? Doesn't matter if others are also doing it. If Charter won against Verizon, when they sue the next party, they use the 'Charter vs Verizon' case as precedent. The point is, are they currently issuing licenses for these patents? Whether a patent holder has attempted to collect on licenses in the past, enforce the patent has come up as issue in the past with other cases.
Essentially sitting on one for years and then when you're running out of money suddenly decide to enforce it throws up red flags.
I suspect TK is right. They're posturing. They want Verizon to drop their suit. Once that happens this one will disappear as well. | |
| | | |  ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA | Re: Seriously? Doesn't matter is they are issuing any rights to use the patent or not. If I own the patent, I have the right to do with it what I want. If I don't want to issue rights to use it I don't have to. Many good patents are bought up by companies that compete against their own products. Once the patents are purchased, they are shelved to never see the day of light again until the patent runs out. | |
| | | | cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS
| said by GlobalMind:Essentially sitting on one for years and then when you're running out of money suddenly decide to enforce it throws up red flags. Attempting to enforce the patent may have been more expensive then what licensing might have brought in.
In the past telcos weren't in the cable tv business and in most areas, the cable company had a monopoly. Suing a competitor in the industry that doesn't really offer competition on your home turf may be of limited advantage. However now that the telcos are offering legitimate competition in the same service areas as the cable companies, the cable companies are trying to find angles to slow them down.
I agree as well that this is a little posturing and a little retaliatory, but that's big business for you. | |
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|  AMDUSERPremium
join:2003-05-28
Earth
kudos:1
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| The other possiblility is that Verzon could ask for a stay while it takes care of its VoIP lawsuit against them.
I'm sure Verizon could afford to outspend Charter for its legal dept. Even if it did not get to the determination if Verizon was infringing or not; Charter could possibly be put into bankruptcy by legal costs. | |
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| | | | Re: The American Way! said by spewak:If you can't compete, SUE!  Maybe that's why Verizon sued Vonage? | |
| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | said by spewak:If you can't compete, SUE! It's comments like this that crack me up.
Keep emotion out of it...
.. its up for the courts to decide if there is a case. People (and business) has a right to file a "complaint" when they feel they have been damaged by the other party. The courts will hear the arguments and weight the evidence. If the case holds water, they make the ruling in favor.. THAT is the American way!
What ISN'T the American way is to pre-judge people becuase of what you see on the surface, theory, personal desire, etc.
If the case goes through and Charter does win, are you willing to retract your silly statement? ...becuase LORD knows, Verizon does no wrong.. I mean, THEY have FIBER!! 
Here's the other truth that people OFTEN don't realize..
1) Patents are infringed on all the time with out realizing it. To think that only one person can think of how to do something is silly. People should do their homework on patents first.
2) The big boys (those with money) love to play games of Risk where they often find its cheaper to do this and battle it out in court later. This is similar to those businesses that will, say, violate the law to make $10 million dollars by their actions knowing they will only be fined $1 million to do so.
NO ONE here, yet, knows the truth, merit, or outcome of this complaint.. but one thing is certain no matter what, even if Charter is right, Verizon wins no matter what based on their momentum and showing off a pretty good product. | |
| | | cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Frontier FiOS
| Re: The American Way! said by fiberguy:NO ONE here, yet, knows the truth, merit, or outcome of this complaint.. but one thing is certain no matter what, even if Charter is right, Verizon wins no matter what based on their momentum and showing off a pretty good product. I wouldn't say that Verizon wins no matter what. When all the dust settles, Verizon is still going to be doing the same thing they are doing now. The only unknown is if Charter is going to be a the one that is licensing it to VZ, if Charter is going to have nothing if the Courts find that they have nothing, or if there is some type of a licensing exchange where each side gets to use the other's patents.
Whatever the patents are, Charter isn't going to just sit on them. They can make more by licensing them to the competition. Yes it helps out the competition in allowing them to provide a (hopefully) better service, but it allows a company to hedge it's bets. If the competition is successful, they have gotten a cut of the competition's success. If they aren't, they've still gotten a cut of the action and their competition failed. It's all a matter of how much you "win". | |
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 SparkChaserR.I.P. DocPremium
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA
kudos:3 | Sue vs. Sue Verizon sued Charter in February 2007 in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, claiming infringement on eight patents for providing telephone services on a data network. That case is pending. | |
| | | patents? Who knew Charter had any patents? I didn't think you could get a patent for "ineptitude" -- even though they have it down to a science, I'm sure there's plenty of prior art on that. | |
| | | | Re: patents? LOL
That was quite good sir. | |
| | | | It could be patents on video. Why not verizon is suing them for patents on phone calls so why not sue verizon for breaking your patents on tv.
Heck verzioln sued vonage because they couldnt compete with them. | |
| | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: patents? said by majortom1029:Heck verzioln sued vonage because they couldnt compete with them. No, they didn't. They sued them because they owned the patents and Vonage violated them. I think the courts disagree with you there. While your statement is 'cute' for a site like BBR, the facts also show a different story.. if you look at WHEN the suit was filed, it was after they went public with certain records that showed VZ what they were doing.
The case went to court, and the ruling spoke.
If Vonage, as much as I like their service, stole VZ's patented technology to compete against them with it, then they deserve what they got.
You can't infringe on someone's property in the name of competition and low prices. If I stole apple's Mac O/S code, repacked it with the name "Orange O/S" and half the price and people gobbled it up and loved it, and I got sued for it, I'd deserve it.. EVEN IF people enjoyed the lower price over that of Apple's price..
So hate to disagree with you (actually I don't, but..) No, Verizon didn't sue Vonage simple becuase they couldn't compete with them.
Thank god its law that governs our nation, not emotions. | |
| | | | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: patents? Really? lol
I was just pulling an example out of my bum.  | |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| I get it Charter is flat broke so they are trying to piss Verizon off so that Verizon Buys Charter.
The Charter execs get a buy out package, their debt goes away and half of Charters employee's get screwed out of their jobs.
Its good business  | |
| | Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO | Re: I get it I really doubt it. Although personally I wish it would happen. As far as I can tell the majority of Charter's foot print, that is not in Verizon's turf already, is in ATT's turf. While Versizon is competing in a few markets with ATT they have avoided doing so on any real scale. I do not think they are ready to open that can of worms at this time. | |
| | | zed260Premium
join:2007-09-30
Cleveland, TN
kudos:1 | Re: I get it id love for Verizon to buy charter out however i highly doubt that would ever happen
its more likely in my view that Verizon buys at&t long before they'd buy charter | |
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| | haha charter is desperate. every former charter customer in the dallas area has switched to fios. | |
| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: haha said by effcharter :
charter is desperate. every former charter customer in the dallas area has switched to fios.
Really? WOW! That's got to be a record customer gain!! Please visit »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_L···hind_Act | |
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| | | Not much time left Charter has to hope it dont go broke before the court battle is over. These thing go on for years and i don't think charter can. | |
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The American Way!
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