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Microsoft Accused Of Stealing VoIP Technology |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Tuesday, 03 April 2007 |
Agere Systems Inc. has reportedly filed suit against Microsoft for
allegedly duping the company into revealing its VoIP technology before
then using it for its own products.
According to this report,
Agere filed a comalint against Microsoft in the middle of last month
(March) in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The allegation is that Microsoft
acquired confidential information during a series of meetings held
between 2002 and 2003 pertaining to Agere's sound technology.
Agere alleges Microsoft claimed to be interested in acquiring or
licensing its Internet videoconferencing technology but then 'abruptly
terminated' negotiations and claimed it had a ‘breakthrough' in its own
development efforts.
Agere says the real ‘breakthrough' was that Microsoft's researchers had
gotten access to Agere System proprietary intellectual property and
then used that knowledge to develop their own products.
Agere is seeking an embargo against Microsoft selling any of its
products that uses its technology although it failed to specify which
products they are. It will also request damages of an indefinite amount.
Agere Systems spekesperson Robert Guenther confirmed details of the complaint and added that Microsoft may be infringing on related Agere patents as well.
Agere says in the complaint that the VoIP technology Microsoft
allegedly copied was originally developed when its researchers were
working for Bell Labs.
"Microsoft had none of the expertise necessary to develop from scratch
what Bell Labs had developed with many man-years of effort," says the Agere complaint.
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