Vonage buys way out of patent flap with Sprint Nextel

It's amazing what $80 million will do to keep the patent lawyers at bay.

Vonage this morning announced that it has agreed to pony up that princely sum to Sprint Nextel after a jury last month found that the troubled Internet phone company had infringed upon a half-dozen of the latter's patents.

Vonage's stock soared 74 percent on the news, although that soaring brought the price of its shares to only $2.

Moreover, Vonage is far from finished with its patent business, as another adverse ruling -- this one from Verizon -- remains unsettled and carries a price tag of $58 million. Vonage has been attempting to find technical work-arounds to the Verizon patents.

Vonage has been in so much legal trouble as of late that even defunct rival SunRocket took a swing at them.

(Update: Stock continues to do well on the news, although analysts see more of a mixed picture, according to this Bloomberg.com account.)

Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent Buzzblog items. And, if you'd like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, here's where to sign up.

This year's "25 Geekiest 25th Anniversaries."

Verizon FiOS out for 5th time in 7 months, but …

Federal "fix" knocks ca.gov for a loop

A defense against Photoshop funny business.

How much does the computer store owe this PC buyer?

Rove resigning to spend more time with his iPhone.

When a cell phone goes through the washer.