Klausner Technologies, a patent holding firm founded by the inventor of the PDA, is suing Apple and AT&T for $360 million for infringing on its patents with visual voicemail. Its patents cover selectively retrieving messages from a menu displaying the caller's name, number, etc. Yes, they have on patent on that entire concept. Lending credibility to their claim, the suit's filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the McDonald's of patent suits, complete with a drive-thru window.
But what makes this more legit than the average infringement suit—and scary for the big A's—is that they've successfully sued both AOL and Vonage into submission over the same patents. Better still, Apple actually licensed one of Klausner's older patents for an electronic pocket dictionary for the Newton. Takeaway: Klausner has a pretty good shot at digging some coin out of AT&T and Apple's back pockets. Any bets on how long it'll be before they settle? [Apple Insider]