Re: FoneFriend Systems

["ATD Munro, Electrical & Electronic Engineering" <>]

Dear Randy,

> Is anyone on the list familiar with FoneFriend Systems, Inc? We recently
> received a form letter from them, stating the following:

Never heard of them before now. Their web-site seems to refer to products 
for aircraft cabin communications functions.

> 1)they own 58 VoIP related patents

Of these, the following are in the EPA database:

US6671272   Internet switch box, system and method for internet telephony
US6377570   Internet switch box, system and method for internet telephony
EP0966815   INTERNET SWITCH BOX, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERNET TELEPHONY
AU6666898   Internet switch box, system and method for internet telephony
WO9837665   INTERNET SWITCH BOX, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERNET TELEPHONY

The text of each is virtually identical in content and identical in 
meaning.   The dates range from 1998 to 2002 and other patents are 
referenced (going further back - I didn't check all of them but I don't 
think any shared the same inventors or FoneFriend).

I didn't trace the other 53 (possibly they aren't registered under 
FoneFriend but under the past members of the company) - the EPA database is 
generally accurate and complete so any evidence of their existence would be 
useful.

> 2)VoIP solutions currently being marketed by others "may rely in whole or
> part" on patents owned by FoneFriend

I, personally, believe this is a spurious and misleading claim based on my 
examination of publicly available information. I may be mistaken.

> 3)they will grant us a license to
> use their patented technology in exchange for a $1000 fee (which will
> "increase severalfold" next year)
>
> It smells like a scam to me, but after a little investigation it appears
> they do market a legitimate, if not very successful, VoIP product and
> have several patents on VoIP-PSTN gateway technology.

I would be 99% confident that VoIP/PSTN gateway implementers and users will 
be using neither the whole nor any part of the claimed inventions. Speaking 
as such a user, I don't recognise the technology nor its use in any of our 
VoIP activities.

If I received such a letter, then I would contact my supplier (Cisco), whom 
I believe would be the one who unwittingly infringed these highly 
significant and ground breaking innovations. I'm sure I would get a robust 
response...

Regards,

Alistair

--
Prof. Alistair Munro, Toshiba Professor of Communications Networks
Dept. Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Bristol University
Merchant Venturers Building, Woodland Road, Clifton,
Bristol BS8 1UB
E-mail: 

Tel.: +44-7974-922442