SUFFERN, NY, March 1, 2004 -- General Patent Corporation (GPC), a leading contingency IP licensing and enforcement firm headquartered in Suffern, New York, announced today that its client, Forward Technologies LLC (Forward Technologies), has settled its patent infringement lawsuit against Pacific Bell Telephone Company (Pacific Bell), and its parent company SBC Communications, Inc. (SBC) (NYSE:SBC). GPC represents Forward Technologies in the licensing and enforcement of its patent.
Forward Technologies brought suit against Pacific Bell and SBC in June of 2002. Pacific Bell and SBC ultimately agreed to an amicable resolution of the matter.
The Remote Call Forwarding technology covered by the subject patent, co-invented by Elliot Rais and Dan Fogel, pertains to controlling telephone call forwarding from a remote location. This technology has now become a standard in the industry, and is available to subscribers of most telephone companies.
"We are happy with the settlement received in this case, and that we have reached a resolution to the lawsuit," said Paul Lerner, GPC's General Counsel. "We hope that the rest of the telcos that offer remote call forwarding will respect the intellectual property of Forward Technologies without the need for litigation."
About Forward Technologies
Forward Technologies LLC is the owner of United States Patent No. 4,475,009, "Method and Device for Remotely Controlling Telephone Call Forwarding". Forward Technologies offers non-exclusive licenses under this patent on attractive terms. For licensing terms, contact Paul Lerner, GPC's Sr. Vice President and General Counsel, at (845) 368-4004.