My paper Copyright’s Communications Policy was on the long history of copyright lawuits being used to set national communications policy, as incumbents used copyright as a means of slowing or trying to destroy their rivals.
The Verizon v. Vonage litigation suggests a new chapter, on patent. Verizon is using patent to try and kill a rival, with implications for communications policy. The merits of the patent suit I cannot say; but this is a classic example of IP rights playing a role in communications policy — potentially decisive in this case.
