Tech Shout!

A U.S appeals court has declined a request by commercial voice over IP network Vonage Holdings Corp. that asked for a retrial in the patent infringement case issued against it by Verizon Communications Inc.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in a ruling dated Wednesday, refused a motion by Vonage to have a violation verdict by a lower court vacated because of a landmark patent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday.
The appeals court said Vonage can quote the latest Supreme Court ruling as part of its pending appeal of the case.

Vonage had retorted that the March 8 infringement verdict in favor of Verizon should be re-evaluated after the Supreme Court loosened a key legal standard, making it simpler to overthrow some patents on the grounds they are obvious inventions.

Verizon wants to stop Vonage from using its patented technologies. A federal jury in March found Vonage had infringed three patents.

On April 6, a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, said he would prohibit Vonage from adding new users while it appeals the patent infringement finding. However, the federal circuit appeals court has stayed the injunction while Vonage appeals the case.