Apple, AT&T settle lawsuit over iPhone 'visual voice mail' feature

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc. have settled claims that the iPhone's "visual voice mail" technology infringed patents held by Klausner Technologies Inc., a New York-based patent holding company founded by inventor Judah Klausner.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

AT&T is the exclusive wireless carrier for Apple's iPhone in the United States. The visual voice mail feature lets iPhone users see a list of people who've left them phone messages and listen to the messages in any order they choose.

The three companies said in a joint filing this week in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas that they've resolved Apple's and AT&T's portion of a larger patent lawsuit Klausner filed. They asked the court to dismiss the case.

Judah Klausner said Tuesday that Apple and AT&T have agreed to take out licenses on the technology, joining EBay Inc.'s Skype division, which last month also settled a lawsuit filed by Klausner over a visual voice mail feature in Skype's voice-over-Internet protocol service.

"As an inventor, it's fulfilling, and it's important as a creative person to get that recognition - payment is also good, there's nothing wrong with that," he said in an interview.

Representatives for Apple and AT&T did not immediately return e-mails seeking comment.

Klausner's lawsuit over visual voice mail includes several defendants, most of whom have now settled.

The company still has litigation pending against Comcast Corp. over its VoIP product, Klausner said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008