Verizon loses patent suit against Cox

Cox Communications Inc. didn't violate Verizon Communications Inc.'s patent rights related to Internet telephone calls, a U.S. appeals court said.

The court upheld a jury finding that two Verizon patents were invalid and four others weren't infringed. "The evidence introduced at trial supports the jury's verdict," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said in an opinion posted on its Web site April 16.

Verizon, the second-largest U.S. phone company behind AT&T Inc., sought $404 million in the case, which was over technology used to connect Internet calls to standard phone lines. Verizon asserted some of the patents in successful patent-infringement litigation against Vonage Holdings Corp.

Locally, Verizon's Midwest headquarters is based in Schaumburg.

Cox, the third-biggest U.S. cable system, in 2003 began providing phone services over its network using packet-switched technology, which breaks up phone signals into packets that are sent over a network. Verizon, based in New York, sued Atlanta- based Cox in 2008.

Verizon's case was argued by Richard G. Taranto of Washington's Farr & Taranto. Cox's case was presented by Mitchell G. Stockwell of Atlanta's Kilpatrick Stockton.

The case is Verizon Services Corp. v. Cox Fibernet Virginia Inc., 2009-1086 and 2009-1098, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Washington). The lower court case is Verizon Services Corp. v. Cox Fibernet Virginia Inc., 08-157, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria).