June 19, 2018 -- Voip-Pal.com Inc. (“Voip-Pal”, “Company”) (OTCQB:VPLM) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon, Inc. in U.S. District Court (Nevada), accusing Amazon’s Alexa® calling and messaging services, which work with Amazon communication devices including Echo® devices, and certain Alexa-enabled Amazon Fire®, Android® and Apple iOS® devices. In particular, the lawsuit accuses Amazon’s Alexa calling and messaging system of using Voip-Pal’s patented technologies to direct voice/video calls and voice messages to both Amazon subscribers and non-subscribers.

 

Amazon’s Alexa® is a cloud-based voice service for communication devices that allows users to make calls or send messages to supported network devices (e.g., supported Echo® devices, or the Alexa App on a supported mobile phone or tablet) or to telephones on traditional telephone networks in response to voice commands. The Washington Post reported that, as of September 27, 2017, Amazon had some 5,000 people dedicated to its Alexa® and Echo® product lines and has sold “tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices.”

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Emil Malak, CEO of Voip-Pal, stated, “After investigating Amazon’s Alexa platform and Echo line of products our technical team has concluded that the calling and messaging functions infringe our patents. 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. Fourteen 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.”

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Mr. Malak continued, “Our patents have more than nine years term remaining during which time others cannot lawfully use our patented technologies without a license. Our preference has always been to avoid litigation. However, given the unresponsiveness of corporate giants in licensing our patents, we feel our best option is to seek fair compensation for the use of our intellectual property through the Courts. If we are unable to reach an amicable settlement with Amazon and the other companies with which we are already engaged in legal actions -- Apple, AT&T, Verizon and Twitter -- we are prepared to stay the course until we have monetized our patents.”

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The patents asserted in the lawsuit against Amazon are U.S. Patent No. 9,537,762, U.S. Patent No. 9,813,330, U.S. Patent No. 9,826,002, and U.S. Patent No. 9,948,549. The same patents were recently asserted against Apple, Inc., as announced by the Company on May 29, 2018.