A US jury convicted Meta to pay $174.5 million to Voxer, on Wednesday for infringing live-streaming patents. They were created by a former US Army veteran looking to improve battlefield communications. Jurors in a Texas federal court trial determined that Tom Katis, who co-founded Voxer, utilised patented technology in Facebook’s and Instagram’s “live” capabilities.
Voxer-The mobile app development company
The free Voxer Walkie Talkie app for cellphones is the most well-known product of this Dallas-based mobile app development company. A powerful and individualised communications tool, Voxer is free software that combines the best of voice, text, photo, and video conversations. Communicate quickly and easily with loved ones, coworkers, or teams – live or later.
Any 3G, 4G, or WiFi network around the globe can be used with Voxer. It is the only service that simultaneously captures the message so it can be listened to later and provides voice live so it can be heard right away. This special technology, which is utilised in more than 200 nations, holds 120 global patents.
Why Meta has to pay a fine to Voxer?
A jury in a Texas federal court found the social media giant guilty of breaching two live-streaming patents with Facebook Live and Instagram Live. As a result, Meta has been forced to pay over $174 million in penalties to Voxer. After his fighting unit was ambushed in Kunar Province in 2003, Tom Katis, a co-founder of Voxer, invented the disputed patents to address the communication problems he encountered on the battlefield. In 2006, Katis and his team started working on communications solutions that led to new technology that made it possible to transmit live voice and video communications. The Walkie-Talkie app was then released in 2011, while Voxer was established in 2007.
According to court documents, soon after the app’s release, Meta (then known as Facebook) contacted Voxer with the aim of collaborating, and by February 2012, Voxer had revealed its patent portfolio and proprietary technology to Meta. Despite not having its own live video or voice product at the time, Voxer claims that Meta labelled it as a rival after the two businesses were unable to come to an agreement to collaborate. Many news platforms at the time referred to Meta’s subsequent denial of Voxer’s access to critical Facebook platform features as bullying. Instagram Live debuted in 2016, after Facebook Live in 2015.
In 2016, Katis claims he brought up the subject of patent infringement in a “chance meeting” with a Facebook Live senior product manager; nevertheless, court records show that Meta refused to negotiate a deal about the long-term viability of Voxer’s technology.
Voxer is given a total payout of approximately $174 by the jury, which will be distributed as a running royalty. Meta claims it will challenge the judgement. A company representative responded that they believe the evidence at trial established that Meta did not infringe Voxer’s patents. They plan to file an appeal as well as pursue additional redress.
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