Injunction Bars Vonage From Signing New Customers

Friday, April 6th 2007, 10:34 am

By: News On 6

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) _ A judge issued an injunction Friday that effectively bars Internet phone carrier Vonage from signing up new customers as punishment for infringing on patents held by Verizon. Vonage planned an immediate appeal.

Vonage's lawyers said the compromise injunction posted by U.S District Judge Hilton is almost as devastating as an injunction that would have affected Vonage's 2.2 million existing customers.

``It's the difference of cutting off oxygen as opposed to the bullet in the head,'' Vonage lawyer Roger Warin said.

Verizon Communications Inc.'s lawyers had suggested the compromise injunction as a way to avoid shutting down Vonage Holdings Corp.'s entire network.