VoIP execs in patent rush

Always protect your own.

Executives in the VOIP industry are doing just that.

The number of patents for VOIP technology is growing exponentially. In October of 2006 alone, 76 VOIP related patents were granted by The Patent and Trademark Office. The United States has already issued over 2,000 patents for Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

The new technology will allow the consumer to access low-cost or even free calling services by using the same methods that are currently used by email. The industry still has a way to go before VOIP becomes the accepted means of communication. The services are haunted by echoes and static.

Companies are hanging their hats on the VOIP field, spending large percentages of R&D monies on the emerging technology. Experts expect the shipment of IP phones to skyrocket to 10 million units as early as 2010, which would spell large profits for those companies getting in on the ground floor.

The high predictions have set off a battle for those revenue dollars. The first battle field is the patent office – first come, first serve. But the battle doesn’t end there. Litigation is the next field of attack.

One concern that the smaller companies have is that the titans of telecomm will use litigation as a tool to break the little guys. Most experts agree that it is more likely the companies involved in litigation will come to a compromise long before they reach a courtroom.