Panasonic may sue Vonage, Skype, others over "VoIP"

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 03, 2007 Posts: 1

(From Pressbox.co.uk) Panasonic Communications Co., Ltd. has confirmed published reports that it will be seeking royalty payments, or injunctions to stop other companies from using the term "VoIP®," which has been a registered trademark of the international electronics firm for over 30 years.

According to Kunio Watanabe, Panasonic Executive Vice President for Legal Affairs, "in 1973, there were discussions about expanding Panasonic's US headquarters, then in the PanAm Building in Manhattan, to become Panasonic's world headquarters. We considered buying the building, and changing the sign on the rooftop from PanAm to Panasonic."

"Although the building was sold to MetLife instead of to us, and corporate headquarters remained in Japan," Watanabe continued, "we did develop a promotional plan to establish the New York City operation as the "Voice of International Panasonic." The term "VoIP"® was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1974, and has been renewed and kept current."

"The VoIP® trademark," Watanabe emphasized, "is valuable Panasonic intellectual property, and is becoming more valuable every day. We can prove that Panasonic is the original VoIP® company. With the introduction of our new Globarange VoIP® phones and service, and our previously introduced VoIP®-enabled KX-TDA business phone systems, we won't stand idly by while other companies compete with us, while using our registered trademark. We are initially targeting 34 companies -- including AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Avaya, Hewlett-Packard, Uniden, Skype, and Vonage -- who offer alleged VoIP® services and products. We will offer them a choice of purchasing a license for the use of our trademark, or to develop their own terminology.”

“Over 60 years ago,” Watanabe concluded, “the Radio Corporation of America developed an audio connector that became known as the RCA jack. Hundreds of companies have been able to sell countless millions of items called RCA jacks and plugs, with no financial benefit to RCA. Panasonic will not let that happen with our VoIP®.”

Later this month, Panasonic will launch a "First with VoIP®" multimedia marketing campaign to promote its new Globarange phones and free worldwide calling service, developed to use the “joip” service of New York-based VoIP® service provider deltathree, Inc. Deltathree is the first company to be licensed by Panasonic to use the VoIP® registered trademark.

Globarange phones are hybrid two-line 5.8GHz DECT cordless phones, supporting both landline and joip-powered VoIP® services. The phones allow calls to be made and received via both the VoIP® line and a regular landline connection from any of its multiple cordless handsets.

Posts: 120 · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:50 pm Post subject: OH DEAR

Oh Dear, everybody is jumping on the bandwagon.......oooooh maybe I could sue because they call me sir when i contact them...................................its getting ridiculous!!!!

Posts: 1424

foner wrote:

(From Pressbox.co.uk) "we did develop a promotional plan to establish the New York City operation as the "Voice of International Panasonic." The term "VoIP"® was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1974, and has been renewed and kept current."

Let's see what Google Fight has to say about this:

http://googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=voip+%22voice+over+ip%22&word2=voip+%22voice+of+international+panasonic%22

Voice over IP: 6,290,000 results
Voice of International Panasonic: 3 results

Hey Panasonic, I have a call for you from Escalator.

Posts: 233 · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject:

Hmmm. This thread will probably get moved to Vonage Stock too.

But, since it is here I will throw in my 2 cents. If Panasonic takes this route they have waited an awfully long time to defend their trademark. Even the FCC, a major function of the United States Government, uses the term "VoIP." I would think it is too late. But, they have every right to defend their trademark however they please.

According to the article their use of the term represents an acronym for a version of their company name and not the technology. It is highly likely a judge would rule that using VoIP as a generic acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol is not a violation of their trademark. I doubt they have "Voice Over Internet Protocol" registered as a trademark. But now that we brought it up I bet some Verizon lawyer is racing to the registry. Wink

Posts: 66 · Full Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2006 Posts: 66

That one's just a really lame April Fool, and two days late to boot Smile