Judge orders Vonage to pay $69.5 million

There hasn't been too much news on the Vonage Deathwatch front lately but when it comes to the ailing VoIP service, no news is usually good news. Last we heard, the VoIP provider had bought itself a little more time with a temporary stay, though we all knew that that band-aid wouldn't keep the company from falling apart in the long term. Despite that fact, rumors swirled that Sprint--the next in line to sue Vonage--would simply scoop up the company for a song, in lieu of legal action. Well, so much for that rumor. In what might prove to be the killing blow, a Federal jury has ordered Vonage to "pay $69.5 million in damages for infringing on six telecommunications patents owned by competitor Sprint-Nextel." Additionally, Vonage must "pay a five-percent royalty on future revenues." Much like the Black Knight from that Monty Python movie, Vonage has vowed to fight on but let's be honest here: they're not fooling anyone. My advice? Do like old Kenny Rogers and know when to fold 'em.

For more on Vonage's plight:
- see this AP article