Sprint Files Patent Infringement Charges Against Mediacom

QCOM AAPL CMCSA S CHTR

Sprint Corp (S - Free Report) reportedly filed a patent infringement complaint against Mediacom Communications Corp. in the federal court in Delaware. Mediacom is a New York-based cable television and communications provider.

Per sources, the national wireless carrier accused Mediacom's digital phone and business phone services of violating Sprint’s 13 patents related to voice-over-packet (VOP) technology. A VOP application allows both voice and signaling information to be transported over the packet network, instead of having a dedicated circuit for each call. However, it has to face challenges of combining legacy voice networks and packet networks.

Per this lawsuit, Sprint is seeking damage recovery payment from Mediacom for each infringement. However, the exact amount has not yet been revealed. Moreover, Sprint is demanding an order to ban the sale of Mediacom's products.

Notably, many companies like Mediacom have tried to benefit from Sprint’s VOP technology without prior consent. So, Sprint has resorted to legal measures to enforce the patent in the wireless industry.

Several cases in the past related to VOP patents have been in the company's favor. In 2007, Sprint received $69.5 million from Vonage America Inc. on grounds of patent infringement. Between 2007 and 2009, Sprint filed complaints in the federal court in Kansas against four companies for infringing six VOP patents. The companies were NuVox Communications Inc., Broadvox Holdings LLC, Big River Telephone Co. and Paetec Communications Inc.

In October 2017, Sprint and Comcast Corp (CMCSA - Free Report) settled a longstanding dispute over patents. The settlement amount remains undisclosed.

In March 2017, Sprint received $139.8 million as damage recovery payment from Time Warner Cable for breaking norms for digital voice telephone services. In 2011, Sprint filed a lawsuit against Time Warner Cable and other cable television companies for breaking patents and using Sprint’s connections and services illegally, without permission. Charter Communications Inc’s (CHTR - Free Report) subsidiary, Time Warner Cable, was found guilty of intentionally violating the patents. The jury found that Time Warner Cable broke five patents for Voice-over-Internet Protocol.

Notably, Sprint has reportedly received a total of $350 million from settlements related to several patent infringement lawsuits.

Similar Patent Infringement Cases

The $1-billion lawsuit between Qualcomm Inc (QCOM - Free Report) and Apple Inc (AAPL - Free Report) is taking a bitter turn, day by day. With multiple counterattacks from each side, the case has currently taken the turn of patent infringement. Qualcomm recently filed three new patent infringement complaints against Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego. Qualcomm also claims that another 16 of its patents were being used by Apple in iPhones.

This filing is a response to Apple’s latest counterattack against Qualcomm. On Nov 29, 2017, Apple alleged that Qualcomm's Snapdragon mobile phone chips, which power various Android-based devices, infringe Apple's patents.

Zacks Rank & Price Performance

Currently, Sprint is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Over the past month, the stock has returned 0.9% compared with the industry’s rally of 10.5%.

 

Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?

Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.

Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.

See the pot trades we're targeting>>

Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"

From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.

It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.

This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>