Apple and AT&T sued over iPhone feature

updated 1:30 p.m. PT, Mon., Dec. 3, 2007

NEW YORK - Klausner Technologies Inc., the patent holding company of inventor Judah Klausner, said Monday it filed patent infringement lawsuits against iPhone maker Apple Inc. and the iPhone's U.S. service provider, AT&T Inc.

Klausner is alleging that the "visual voicemail" feature on the iPhone, which lets users see a list of voice messages and then choose which they want to hear, infringes on two patents it holds. Klausner filed suit against AT&T for selling the iPhone, along with the "visual voicemail" feature and other visual voice messaging services.

Klausner is seeking an estimated $360 million total in damages and future royalties from the companies.

Apple spokeswoman Susan Lundgren said Monday the company doesn't comment on pending litigation. Mark Siegel, a spokesman for AT&T's wireless business, said the company has no comment.

The suits against Apple and AT&T are just two of many patent challenges Klausner filed Monday.

The company filed lawsuits against eBay Inc.'s Skype unit, Comcast Corp. and Cablevision Systems Corp. Klausner said the suits allege the companies' Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, products and services infringe on one of its patents and it is seeking an estimated $300 million from the companies in damages and future royalties.

Klausner said all of the lawsuits were filed by California law firm Dovel & Luner in a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas.

In October, Klausner settled a legal dispute with VoIP company Vonage Holdings Corp. for an undisclosed sum, and in April 2006, Klausner said it settled a patent infringement suit with Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit for an undisclosed amount. Klausner had sought $200 million from each company.