Friday, June 22, 2012

Frontier Gets Phone Patent, Sues Google For Infringement

Frontier Communications (FTR) today sued Google (GOOG) in federal court in Delaware for patent infringement, asserting that Google Voice violates a patent for enhanced telephone services.

The patent in question – #7,742,468 – was issued, well, today.

The patent, entitled “Systems and methods for providing enhanced telephone services,” describes “a method for providing enhanced telephone services via a computerized telephone services device for use in conjunction with multiple telephone lines and providers.”

The patent abstract says that “according to embodiments of the invention, a subscriber to telephone services or a group of subscribers may be reached on multiple telephone lines from a single dial-in number; calls in progress may be transferred seamlessly from one line associated with a subscriber to another; and group calling features may be enhanced.”

“Google�s deliberate infringement of the patent has greatly and irreparably damaged Frontier,” plaintiff�s lawyers said in filings for the case, according to Bloomberg.

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