Avistar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Polycom; Suit for Unlawful Use of Fundamental Videoconferencing Technologies.Business Editors REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2002 Avistar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:AVSR (Audio Visual Speech Recognition) Using lip reading software to enhance speech recognition. In noisy environments where a camera can be included, AVSR improves the computer's ability to recognize the speaker's words by visually tracking lip movement and ), the leading provider of enterprise video communication solutions, today announced that it has filed a patent infringement patent infringement n. the manufacture and/or use of an invention or improvement for which someone else owns a patent issued by the government, without obtaining permission of the owner of the patent by contract, license or waiver. lawsuit against Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq:PLCM PLCM Product Life-Cycle Management PLCM public long code mask PLCM Public Land Code Mask ). In the suit Avistar alleges that several Polycom videoconferencing products infringe four patents of Collaboration Properties, Inc Collaboration Properties, Inc. (CPI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avistar Communications Corporation. It holds US and foreign patents in the primary areas of presence-based interactions, desktop video, recorded and live media at the desktop, multimedia documents, data sharing, . (CPI (1) (Characters Per Inch) The measurement of the density of characters per inch on tape or paper. A printer's CPI button switches character pitch. (2) (Counts Per I ), a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Avistar. The four patents involved are U.S. Patent No. 5,867,654; No. 5,896,500; No. 6,212,547; and No. 6,343,314. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. These four patents cover key technologies, some of which are fundamental to interactive video calling: -- video and data conferencing over unshielded twisted pair (UTP) networks; -- distributed call-state management; -- separate monitors for simultaneous computer-based data sharing and videoconferencing; -- remote participant hold and disconnect in multi-party conferencing. Avistar developed these technologies as core components of its networked architecture and the AvistarVOS(TM) video operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. , an open software platform that delivers video communication services. Several Polycom products, including room-based and desktop videoconferencing Using a PC or Mac for a videophone session or videoconference. Contrast with a "room videoconferencing system" where a group of participants congregate in one room. See videoconferencing. systems, employ some or all of these technologies. CPI has been negotiating with Polycom on these issues for several months and has been unable to reach an agreement. "Currently, we hold a portfolio of 46 issued patents covering the core videoconferencing functionalities and architectures that are part of the AvistarVOS software and fundamental to Avistar's networked video communication products," said William L. Campbell, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of CPI. "For more than a year we have made these patents available for licensing because we want the videoconferencing industry to work in concert with Avistar to bring easy, open, global video communication to every professional's fingertips "Fingertips" is a 1963 number-one hit single recorded live by "Little" Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label. Wonder's first hit single, "Fingertips" was the first live, non-studio recording to reach number-one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States. . In this case, it has become important that CPI take action to protect the integrity of its intellectual property and establish appropriate licensing arrangements." Avistar CEO Gerald J. Burnett said, "For nine years Avistar has been investing time and money in the development of networked video and video software that drives reliable, high-quality, and easy-to-use applications. Our goal has been to video-enable business, going well beyond traditional videoconferencing with our easily integrated applications. Videoconferencing is a mature, saturated market, but there is room for many companies who would like to take part in the tremendous growth in video-enabled business -- the vBusiness world." The AvistarVOS enterprise video software and networked video infrastructure provide professionals with a full range of standards-based video communication services -- two-way and multi-party calling, record and playback, video-on-demand, video publishing, broadcast video -- all provided directly from end-point desktops and rooms. CPI patents technologies in synchronization with and in advance of Avistar products and makes its collaborative video intellectual property available to potential partners through licensing. Inquiries regarding CPI's licensing may be directed to Paul Carmichael, primary licensing advisor, by arrangement with Amanda Redd, 650/610-2900. About Avistar Communications Corporation Avistar develops, markets and supports the Avistar(R) vBusiness integrated suite of video-enabled applications, all powered by the AvistarVOS(TM) software. Avistar integrates video communications into day-to-day business process applications. From the desktop, Avistar delivers TV-quality video calling, recording, publishing, video-on-demand, broadcast, and document sharing. Founded in 1993, Avistar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:AVSR) is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California Redwood Shores is an upscale and desirable [1] waterfront neighborhood on the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It is located on the eastern edge of Belmont, but is actually part of incorporated Redwood City. , with sales offices in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and London. Collaboration Properties, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Avistar Communications Corporation, holds a broad portfolio of patents covering the AvistarVOS platform as well as multiple software and hardware video collaboration products. Avistar, AvistarVOS, and the Avistar logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avistar Communications Corporation. |
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