TGIP Inc. v. AT&T Corp., et al.

TGIP, Inc.

McKool Smith secured a key trial court victory for Dallas-based TGIP Inc. in a fiercely contested patent battle with telecommunications giant AT&T Corp. over two patents covering point-of-sale activation of telephone calling cards.  In addition to awarding the full amount of damages requested by TGIP, the jury’s finding of williful infringement against AT&T allows the court, at its discretion, to triple the jury award.

The verdict was delivered in September 2007 following two weeks of testimony in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Beaumont.  The McKool Smith team reached a settlement with co-defendant MCI/Verizon only two days into trial.

The verdict was delivered less than 18 months after TGIP filed its original infringement claim.  Jurors found that AT&T had infringed United States Patent No. 5,511,114 and United States Patent No. 5,721,768, which allow customers to purchase calling time and to “recharge” previously-used calling cards at retail outlets.

The case settled favorably to TGIP while on appeal to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.