Voicemail Suit Targets Apple, Skype, Others

By Geoff Duncan December 3, 2007

Klausner Technologies, Inc.—a patent holding company founded by the “inventor of the PDA” Judah Klausner—today filed lawsuits against Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Cablevision, and eBay’s Skype service for infringing on patents related to voice messaging and visual voicemail services. Klausner’s suits against AT&T and Apple seeks $360 million in damages and future royalties; the suit against Comcast, Cablevision, and eBay totals $300 million.

The patents in question are 5,572,576 (cited in all the suits) and 5,283,818 (cited against Apple and AT&T); they both cover systems offering a visual display for selecting and managing recorded audio messages. The former patent was granted in 1996, the latter in 1994. Klausner has successfully licensed the patents to other parties, and has previously sued Vonage and AOL for infringement of the 576 patent.

The suit was filed by the California law firm of Dovel & Luner—the same firm that handled Klausner’s suit against AO and VonageL—in the known patent holder-friendly Eastern District of Texas. “We have litigated this patent successfully on two prior occasions,” said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner. “With the signing of each new licensee, we continue to receive further confirmation of the strength of our visual voicemail patents.”

Klausner settled with both AOL and (just last month) with Vonage for undisclosed amounts, with each company getting a license to Klausner’s patents.

Klausner Technologies holds more than two dozen patents worldwide, including several related to voice services delivered via the Internet and wireless devices. Judah Klausner is often considered the inventor of the PDA (see patent 4,117,542, granted in 1978).

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Smart Home

Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit and Blinds Collection join the Matter lineup

The Eve MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit being installed.

Eve is a prominent name in the smart home world, with the company responsible for a variety of devices covering everything from smart plugs and security cameras to smart light switches and motion sensors. Its catalog is growing even more enticing today, with the Eve Blinds Collection and MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit gaining Matter support.

The MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit will likely appeal to more customers, as it costs just $200 and works with most existing setups. Installation is as simple as removing your shades, placing the MotionBlinds Upgrade Kit through the roller rod, then reinstalling the unit on your windows. Blinds with a roller between 1.5 inches and 2.0 inches are compatible with the upgrade kit.

Smart Home

Philips Hue lights have a rare discount, but there’s a catch

A TV with ambient backlighting from Philips Hue.

One of the cool things about Philips Hue lighting is how much freedom it gives you over creating the perfect ambiance in your home. One of the cool things about buying Philips Hue products over at Best Buy right now is how much freedom Best Buy is giving you over what you buy to save money. Right now, when you buy two or more select Philips Hue smart lighting product in Best Buy's offer builder, you can save 15%. Tap the button below to start building your own bundle and see all of the products available. While they don't include the best smart light bulbs that Philips produces, you'll be amazed by the versatility of the lightstrips. Or keep reading for an overview of some of the top picks from the bundle.

What you should purchase from the Philips Hue offer builder
The place to start with this deal is the and the if you don't already have them. These are the devices that take your movies, music, and games and syncs them to your lights.

Smart Home

Samsung’s futuristic Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum is $400 off

The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum cleaning the floor.

For families who need a lot of help in keeping their floors spotless, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ is an investment that you'll want to make. It's pretty expensive at its original price of $1,300, but a $400 discount from Samsung pulls it down to $900. It's still not cheap, but this futuristic robot vacuum could be the only device that you need to keep dirt, debris, and pet hair away from your sight. You're going to have to complete your purchase for it as soon as possible though, as there's no telling when the offer expires.

Why you should buy the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum
The Samsung Jet Bot AI+ checks all the boxes in the features that are recommended by our guide on how to choose a robot vacuum. It's equipped with powerful sensors and object recognition technology that allows it to avoid furniture when it's cleaning your floors, while LiDAR technology allows it to create accurate maps of the rooms in your home so that it can properly navigate and clean more efficiently. The robot vacuum also features a five-layer filtration system that allows it to release clean air, and when it's done, it goes back to its Clean Station where it empties its contents.