ASSIA, BT bury DSL patent litigation hatchet

July 29, 2015
DSL and fiber-optic network management software company ASSIA and British Telecommunications (BT) have called a cease fire in their international patent war. The companies, at odds over whether BT infringed on ASSIA patents related to DSL management (and vice versa), have agreed to end the dispute and cross-license each other's patented intellectual property.

DSL and fiber-optic network management software company ASSIA and British Telecommunications (BT) have called a cease fire in their international patent war. The companies, at odds over whether BT infringed on ASSIA patents related to DSL management (and vice versa), have agreed to end the dispute and cross-license each other's patented intellectual property.

The two companies have been arguing in court since 2011, with ASSIA filing charges against BT in the UK and with the European Patent Office and BT firing back with similar litigation in the United States.

ASSIA appeared to be gaining the upper hand by the end of last year, when the UK High Court ruled that BT's method of managing aspects of its fiber to the cabinet (FTTC) infrastructure infringed on ASSIA patent EP (UK) 1,869,790 (see "BT infringed on ASSIA DSL patent rules UK High Court"). The patent covers "a method of using a state transition matrix to decide how to choose the most desirable line profile in which to operate a DSL connection," wrote ASSIA's Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs & General Counsel Noah Mesel in an email to Lightwave last December.

The technology firm subsequently asserted that BT was forced to shut down its management system as a result of the finding (see "Has BT shut down its DSL management system?"). A BT source at the time declined to confirm or deny ASSIA's claim.

The two parties now say all's well.

"We are pleased that we have been able to resolve the issues with BT," said ASSIA Chairman and CEO John M. Cioffi via a press release.

"Both BT and ASSIA are pleased to end this long running dispute to the mutual satisfaction of both parties," agreed BT's Managing Director of Service Strategy & Operations Mike Galvin in the same announcement.

For more information on FTTx equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.


About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.

Contact Stephen to discuss:

  • Contributing editorial material to the Web site or digital magazine
  • The direction of a digital magazine issue, staff-written article, or event
  • Lightwave editorial attendance at industry events
  • Arranging a visit to Lightwave's offices
  • Coverage of announcements
  • General questions of an editorial nature

Sponsored Recommendations

How AI is driving new thinking in the optical industry

Sept. 30, 2024
Join us for an interactive roundtable webinar highlighting the results of an Endeavor Business Media survey to identify how optical technologies can support AI workflows by balancing...

Advancing Data Center Interconnection

July 25, 2024
Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions provide physical or virtual network connections between remote data center locations. Connecting geographically dispersed data centers...

Advances in Fiber & Cable

Oct. 3, 2024
Attend this robust webinar where advancements in materials for greater durability and scalable solutions for future-proofing networks are discussed.

AI’s magic networking moment

March 6, 2024
Dive into the forefront of technological evolution with our exclusive webinar, where industry giants discuss the transformative impact of AI on the optical and networking sector...