AT&T, T-Mobile slapped with suit over voicemail patents

AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile USA are facing a lawsuit from a Swiss firm that alleges the two carriers are violating its patents for voicemail technology.

The suit, filed by Starhome in federal court in Delaware, seeks to bar the two Tier 1 carriers from offering some international roaming services, and also seeks unspecified damages. The suit was also brought against San Jose, Calif.-based Roamware.

Starhome, which specializes in international wireless roaming products, said AT&T and T-Mobile infringe on two patents it scored in 2005 and 2007. At the heart of the dispute are patents that allow subscribers to use the same short codes used at home to access voicemail and other services while roaming internationally, without having to use international calling codes.

Representatives from AT&T and T-Mobile declined to comment.

For more:
- see this Reuters article

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