Freedom Wireless sues Alltel, 4 other telecoms.A Phoenix-based development and technology company is suing five wireless carriers and service providers, including Alltel Corp., for alleged 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. . The plaintiff, Freedom Wireless Inc., filed two complaints in a Texas federal court: one against Alltel, Verisign Inc. and Comverse Inc. and another against Cingular Wireless and Ericsson Inc. Freedom accuses the companies of knowingly and willfully willfully adv. referring to doing something intentionally, purposefully and stubbornly. Examples: "He drove the car willfully into the crowd on the sidewalk." "She willfully left the dangerous substances on the property." (See: willful) infringing and continuing to infringe in·fringe v. in·fringed, in·fring·ing, in·fring·es v.tr. 1. To transgress or exceed the limits of; violate: infringe a contract; infringe a patent. 2. on Freedom's patents ('067, '067, '823, '823 and '851) related to secure cellular telecommunications systems delivering prepaid pre·pay tr.v. pre·paid, pre·pay·ing, pre·pays To pay or pay for beforehand. pre·pay  ment n. calling services.
Prepaid customers pay in advance for a predetermined pre·de·ter·mine v. pre·de·ter·mined, pre·de·ter·min·ing, pre·de·ter·mines v.tr. 1. To determine, decide, or establish in advance: amount of minutes, whereas post-pay customers are billed periodically, typically every month, for prior use. Alltel has provided its prepaid platform in several markets through service agreements with Verisign and Comverse. Freedom seeks yet unspecified damages and injunctions to halt the ongoing alleged patent infringements. A spokesman for Alltel said the company believed it had not infringed on the patents in question. |
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