VZW pinged with visual voicemail patent lawsuit

Klausner Technologies Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics Co. Ltd., claiming the carrier’s recently launched visual voicemail service for the LG Voyager handset infringes on its voicemail patents.
Anticipating the lawsuit, Verizon Wireless filed a lawsuit of its own on Aug. 14 against Klausner seeking a declaration that the visual voicemail patent is invalid and the Verizon Wireless system doesn’t infringe the patent.
“We anticipated Klausner’s actions,” said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Robin Nicol.
Verizon Wireless launched the application a few weeks ago and Nicol said the carrier has no plans of pulling the app. According to media reports, Klausner Technologies has sued other companies over the issue, including AT&T Inc., Apple Inc. and Vonage Holdings Corp. It’s likely more legal action will follow; Klausner said it has licensed the patent to 11 companies.