Back in '06, Verizon sued Vonage claiming that the firm infringed on seven of Verizon's patents related to its VoIP service. The case is now being heard in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. Several media reports speculating Vonage's demise have sparked the ire of CEO Mike Snyder. "First and foremost, we are confident we have not infringed on any of Verizon's patents and, in any case, we believe the Verizon patents are invalid," Snyder insisted. They not only intend to "vigorously" challenge the "frivolous" suit, but don't believe business will be affected by a verdict against them. Snyder continued, "Nevertheless, our financial reserves would allow us to continue normal operations regardless of the outcome..."

Although the firm is trading near its lowest range of $5.08 since its shaky IPO, Vonage boasts 19 consecutive quarters of double digit growth.

Patents in and of themselves are a tricky thing. Former corporate attorney Daniel Ravicher believes that some patents are a breach of free-market economics. The battle continues — not just on this front, but with IP as a whole. A Corporate Dealmaker special report investigated the struggle to make IP an asset class, among other things. — Baz Hiralal

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