Amazon sued for patent infringement over Alexa calling service
Technology and communications company VoIP-Pal has taken Amazon to court, claiming that Amazon’s virtual aide Alexa infringes its patents.
The complaint was filed at the US District Court for the District of Nevada on Friday, June 15.
Amazon’s Alexa is an interactive, virtual assistant that can communicate with the user and is able to answer questions and remind users of certain events.
The Amazon Alexa calling and messaging system also allows Amazon calling device users to initiate a call or voice message.
According to VoIP-Pal, this calling and messaging system has infringed patents that relate to communication methods which use the internet.
VoIP-Pal’a inventions are called “Producing routing messages for voice over internet protocol communications” (US patent numbers 9,537,762; 9,813,330; 9,826,002; and 9,948,549).
“The patents-in-suit represent fundamental advancements to the art of internet protocol-based communication, including improved functioning, routing and reliability for communications over the internet,” said the claim.
“Amazon’s foray into communications seems to be part of a larger trend of giant corporations battling for market dominance by offering internet-based communication products that integrate with traditional telephony networks,” commented Emil Malak, CEO of VoIP-Pal.
Malak added: “14 years ago, VoIP-Pal’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Digifonica, began developing, inventing and patenting many of the same communication methods that are now being employed by today’s internet giants.”
VoIP-Pal is seeking damages and has requested a demand for jury trial.
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