Editing Vonage (section)

==Patent infringement lawsuits==
On June 19, 2006, [[Verizon]] filed a lawsuit alleging that Vonage infringed on five of Verizon's [[patent]]s related to its [[VoIP]] service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reardon |first=Marguerite |date=June 19, 2006 |title=Verizon sues Vonage for VoIP patent infringement |url=http://news.cnet.com/Verizon-sues-Vonage-for-VoIP-patent-infringement/2100-7352_3-6085396.html |access-date=2010-03-13 |publisher=CNET News}}</ref> The patents describe technology for completing phone calls between VoIP users and people using phones on the traditional public switched network, authenticating VoIP callers, validating VoIP callers' accounts, fraud protection, providing enhanced features, using Wi-Fi handsets with VoIP services, and monitoring VoIP caller usage.

In 2007, Vonage launched a [[viral marketing]] campaign and website freetocompete.com, which garnered press coverage about Vonage, its campaign, the lawsuits, and issues of competition with established telecom corporations.<ref name="MohrSengupta2009">{{Cite book |last1=Mohr |first1=Jakki J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8LJwaPuuQagC&pg=PA393 |title=Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations |last2=Sengupta |first2=Sanjit |last3=Slater |first3=Stanley F. |publisher=Prentice-Hall |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-13-604996-8 |edition=3 |page=393 |access-date=October 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Vonage throws oranges at Verizon |url=https://www.telecoms.com/communications-service-provider/vonage-throws-oranges-at-verizon |access-date=2025-01-27 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2007 |title=Vonage Shakes Its Finger at Verizon |url=http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2007/04/vonage_shakes_i.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412072259/http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2007/04/vonage_shakes_i.html |archive-date=2008-04-12 |website=[[BusinessWeek]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2007 |title=Vonage, the WSJ, and the case of the missing ad copy |url=https://money.cnn.com/2007/05/02/news/companies/pluggedin_mehta_ad.fortune/ |website=[[CNNMoney]]}}</ref>

On March 8, 2007, a jury found Vonage liable for infringing three patents held by Verizon, and but found no infringement as to two other patents. The jury returned a verdict against Vonage for $58 million and included a royalty rate of 5.5% of every sale to a Vonage customer to Verizon.  Subsequent to this jury award, there were a series of appeals and intermediate stays on payment. Vonage was also ordered by the court to stop signing up new customers,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barakat |first=Matthew |date=April 7, 2007 |title=Ruling bans Vonage from signing up new customers |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07097/775909-28.stm#ixzz0oE6sXgAP |access-date=May 17, 2010 |website=[[Post-Gazette.com]].}}</ref> but this was stayed pending appeal three weeks later.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kharif |first=Olga |date=April 25, 2007 |title=Vonage: Away from the Edge, for Now |url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070425_346272.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418082716/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070425_346272.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology |archive-date=2011-04-18 |access-date=May 16, 2010 |website=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]}}</ref> On November 19, 2007, Vonage agreed to pay $120 million in damages<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Iain |date=November 19, 2007 |title=Vonage owes $120m after court failure |url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2203710/vonage-owes-120-million-court |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118194836/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2203710/vonage-owes-120-million-court |archive-date=2008-01-18}}. VNUnet.com.</ref> to Verizon. In other patent lawsuits, by December 2007, Vonage was ordered to pay $80 million to [[Sprint Corporation|Sprint Nextel]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bangeman |first=Eric |date=October 8, 2007 |title=Vonage, Sprint settle patent dustup for $80 million |url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071008-vonage-sprint-settle-patent-dustup-for-80-million.html |access-date=2010-03-13 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref> and $39 million to [[AT&T|AT&T Inc.]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eddy |first=Nathan |date=December 26, 2007 |title=Vonage, AT&T Agree On Patent Lawsuit Settlement |url=http://www.crn.com/networking/205203144 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124013619/http://www.crn.com/networking/205203144 |archive-date=2008-01-24 |access-date=2010-03-13 |website=[[Crn.com]]}}</ref> Another lawsuit with [[Nortel]] resulted in no monetary damages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khandelwal |first=P. |date=December 31, 2007 |title=Vonage, Nortel settle patent dispute |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWNAS541520080101 |access-date=2010-05-14 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>