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VoIP Inc. claims $1.25 billion patent
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VoIP Inc. is at it again. Notorious for puffing its business with relentless press releases, it has issued another claiming its click-to-call patent is worth a staggering $1.25 billion. And it has retained a California law firm to take action against 100 companies--many of which are Fortune 500 companies.
VoIP Inc. share price is now below a penny after it was forced to close its VoIP business last week, and the firm has not been contactable since. But despite a gaggle of disgruntled creditors, customers and investors the company continues to issue press releases claiming it offers "turnkey Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications solutions for service providers, resellers and consumers worldwide."
The latest VoIP Inc. press release says that "based on information provided from some of the industry's leading technology experts and the fact that this (click-to-call) technology is being implemented at an ultra-hyper rate domestically and internationally, Byron T. Ball, attorney at BALL LAW FIRM, LLP, stated, "I believe the current value of the patent could exceed 1.25 billion dollars.""
"We have identified over 100 companies that have willfully infringed on our patents. We intend to stop the infringement and defend our technology and the patents behind it. These patents and the business they represent will be utilized to provide the shareholders with the value they deserve and have long awaited," stated CEO Anthony Cataldo.
Neither VoIP Inc. nor Ball returned calls to explain exactly how they determined the patent was worth $1.25 billion. The action follows a flock of successful and pending VoIP patent claims by various telcos and vendors. Vonage has clocked up $240 million in patent breaches.
Florida-based VoIP Inc. has had a colorful history, starting life as a tea trading company. Its founder Steve Ivester is a convicted felon and its former chief operating officer Shawn Lewis left after pleading guilty to drug charges. Lewis declared himself bankrupt as has the company's chief accounting officer Robert Staats. Staats was the media contact for this latest press release.
For more:
- VoIP Inc. Release
- VoIP Inc. may sue you Rich Tehrani Blog
- VoIP Inc. lawyering up for a massive click-to-call patent infringement suit Russel Shaw Blog
- Verizon's VoIP Patent Game Continues Gigaom Blog
Related Articles:
VoIP Inc. goes down owing Verizon $8 million Report
VoIP Inc. takes a $24M hit, closes network and loses staff ReportÂ
Comments
Posted by luca Filigheddu | February 15, 2008 - 7:46am
My thought here: http://www.lucafiligheddu.com/2008/02/voip-incs-new-business-model.html
Such sequence of press releases sounds really as the last attempt to asve the company from demise.
Posted by Anonymous | February 16, 2008 - 7:00am
It appears that the chief financial officer turned in his resignation friday after the company failed to give employees their final promised check. The ceo has never delivered on 1 single promise he's made to anyone since he took over and now both employees and shareholders have paid the price. I hope they stut down for good. There is nobody left with any voip or communications experience anyway. Cataldo is more of an unsuccessful biotech guy anyway. JMHO
Posted by Anonymous | August 20, 2009 - 9:47am
Google Accused of Swiping Trade Secrets
By ELIZABETH BANICKI
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LOS ANGELES (CN) - VoiceOne Communications claims Google swiped trade secrets for a "Click to Call" feature that allows businesses to get phone calls over the Internet from Web site visitors.
VoiceOne says it agreed in September 2005 to provide Google its patented web-click calling technology. It says the deal was amended in November 2006 so that VoiceOne would be identified as the designated carrier of calls initiated on Google's sites.
VoiceOne says Google terminated the deal in January 2007, on the pretext that Google had been identified, without authorization, as a VoiceOne customer. VoiceOne says the real reason Google killed the deal was so it could exploit the confidential web-click calling information.
VoiceOne claims Google breached confidentiality by sharing information with eBay and Skype.
VoiceOne and VoIP are subsidiaries of WABEC; all three are plaintiffs in the suit. They seek restitution, disgorgement, and special damages for misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, unjust enrichment and breach of contract. They are represented in Superior Court by Byron T. Ball and Kabateck Brown & Kellner.
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