EBay sues IDT, says PennyTalk cards infringe patent
EBay, owner of the Skype phone service, sued IDT and its Net2Phone unit, claiming IDT's PennyTalk calling cards infringe a patent for Internet-based telephone calls. EBay owns a patent issued in 2000 for a "long distance telephone communications system" using the Internet. IDT's PennyTalk cards, which can be reused as customers add more money to their accounts, charge 1 cent a minute for U.S. calls and 2 cents for international calls. In the complaint, filed Thursday in federal court in Texarkana, Ark., eBay seeks a court order to block use of its patented invention, plus cash compensation. Net2Phone, which IDT bought in 2006, sued eBay and Skype the same year in federal court in Newark, N.J., over patented technology for Internet telephones. A pre-trial conference in the case is scheduled for June... more>>>
Copper is the New Gold. Thieves Target Copper Wire Phone Lines
Here's a topic we most likely never think of — telephone copper wire theft. I know sounds pretty boring, but do you know the affects that it can have on you? Sure the repairs of such a theft could drive up phone service prices but did you know copper wire theft could hurt you, especially during an emergency? more >>>
Call for our best offer: SBC's entry into the state long-distance market means more competition, not necessarily savings
The long-awaited era of unfettered competition in long-distance phone service has finally arrived in California. For almost five years, SBC, the local-phone giant formerly known as Pacific Bell, said that as soon as it entered the state's long-distance market, consumers would save money because of the increased competition. Now that regulators have given SBC the go-ahead to offer long-distance service, that means prices are dropping, right? Not really. Though SBC is offering good deals for consumers who buy all their telecommunications services from the company, and smart consumers can still find bargains, the biggest long-distance companies – AT&T and MCI – have begun raising rates on some of their more popular plans. Sprint has said it may increase its rates as well... more >>>