Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Verizon, Nextel Trade Barbs

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 17:58:43 -0400

Verizon, Nextel Trade Barbs 
By Mark Rockwell
July 23, 2003
news@2 direct

Verizon Wireless and Nextel Communications Inc. are locked in an increasingly
heated battle over push-to-talk services, exchanging complaints and
counter-complaints over alleged industrial espionage and even the copyrights for
the service's name.

After accusing Nextel last month of illegally obtaining and testing its prototype
'walkie-talkie' phones and its push-to-talk network recently, Verizon filed a
complaint last week with the U.S. District Court in Delaware asking that Nextel
not be allowed to trademark the words 'push to talk' and 'PTT.' It asked the court
to declare those terms as 'generic' and open for general use, as it plans to use
them in selling its own PTT service.

Verizon Wireless told the court the terms 'PTT' and 'push to talk' have been used
to describe walkie-talkie transmissions since the 1940s and the term has been used
generally by the U.S. government, as well as private industry, to describe generic
two-way radio transmissions. It added that since the 1990s, companies such as
Microsoft, IBM, Ericsson, Motorola, AT&T and Nokia have used the term. It says
Nextel's attempts to trademark the words goes against those precedents. Nextel
filed to trademark the terms in January 2002. Verizon seeks to have the court
cancel any registration of services under such a trademark.

In the meantime, Nextel asked a federal judge to dismiss Verizon Wireless'
accusations that it illegally obtained and tested Verizon Wireless' push-to-talk
telephones and network. Nextel said it had been loaned the phones by manufacturer
Motorola, which had consented to the testing. It added that the phones had been
returned.

A Verizon Wireless spokeswoman said her company will continue to pursue its
complaint against Nextel. The explanation provided by Nextel, she said, 'doesn't
change the claims they improperly used the product.'

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=document&doc_id=123317&verticalID=34&vertical=Business+and+Finance&industry=

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