Remember that little outfit that sued Apple and AT&T over use of the Visual Voicemail system on the iPhone? Right, well it looks like Sprint's going after the very same look and feel for their newly announced iPhone-fighting Samsung Instinct - except Sprint opted to pay Klausner licensing fees. Sprint has licensed the technology from [...]

Remember that technology firm that came out of the woodwork and sued Apple over the iPhone’s Visual Voicemail feature ? Well, unlike other patent-squatters in the business, Klausner Technologies actually had a pretty solid case. The firm sued Apple, AT&T, SimulScribe, and others over patents 5,572,576 and 5,283,818 , claiming that Visual Voicemail infringed on Klausner’s IP rights. The firm is seeking $360m in damages from Apple. Well, it looks like SimulScribe has just settled with Klausner Technologies, leaving co-defendant Apple in a weaker position to defend itself against Klausner’s claims. SimulScribe has agreed to a licensing deal with Klausner Technologies. Apple might want to just go ahead and settle with Klausner. There’s nothing like a little licensing-love to make things run a bit more smoothly. Then again, with the way Apple’s stock is headed, we can see why Steve might want to fight this battle to the bitter end. Let’s see how this one plays out. [Via: MacWorld UK ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Vodafone Germany gets jiggy with Visual Voicemail too - kind ofApple and AT&T sued over iPhone's Visual Voicemail technology - another patent infringement caseAlltel to offer Voice-to-Text voicemail service - SpinVoxiPhone Visual Voicemail is 2007's best featureGet iPhone-like visual voicemail on your BlackBerry, Windows Mobile phone

Well, this isn’t just another patent infringement case against the iPhone. Whereas all previous lawsuits basically rested on the shakiest of ground , the latest lawsuit brought against Apple and AT&T by Klausner Technologies has some merit. The firm has alleged that the iPhone’s Visual Voicemail feature infringes on Klausner’s U.S. Patents 5,572,576 and 5,283,818 . The lawsuit was filed against Apple and AT&T for offering the patented technology to iPhone customers and is seeking damage and future royalties that could amount to $360 million. Outlined in the lawsuit is Klauser’s claim that AT&T and Apple have infringed their intellectual property by giving iPhone users a method to selectively listen to messages in the voicemail system - Visual Voicemail. And, it seems that the lawsuit has some firm ground to stand upon. Klausner Technologies has already successfully established their intellectual property rights in previous litigation against Time Warner AOL for the AOL Voicemail system. The firm was able to show that their patents were valid and landed a licensing agreement with Time Warner AOL. “We have litigated this patent successfully on two prior occasions,” said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner, counsel for Klausner. “With the signing of each new licensee, we continue to receive further confirmation of the strength of our visual voicemail patents.” And, to add more legitimacy to the lawsuit, the firm has filed similar lawsuits against Comcast Corporation, Cablevision Systems Corp., and Skype for infringing on Klausner patents by allowing users to selectively listen to voicemail messages. Good luck, Apple and AT&T (not to mention all those other firms currently under fire). We’re usually quick to dismiss frivolous lawsuits, but this one sounds like it’s of the valid-variety. A settlement might just be your best bet. We should note that Klausner Technologies granted an OEM license to Apple to cover the Apple Newton PDA when it was launched all those years ago. Interesting. [Via: MacWorld ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Apple sued for patent infringement - SP Technologies claims patent over iPhone's virtual keyboardWoman sues iPhone trio over price cuts - Steve Jobs, Apple, AT&T all named in latest lawsuitVodafone Germany gets jiggy with Visual Voicemail too - kind ofCalifornia man files class action lawsuit against Apple over bricking of unlocked iPhonesAlltel [...]