Vonage sued by SunRocket specter

What remains of SunRocket is suing Vonage in a dispute over a customer list. Lawyers representing SunRocket filed suit last week in a Delaware court, alleging Vonage unlawfully obtained and used its customer list, reports indicate. Vonage claims it got the list fair and square through a third-party marketing firm in New York. Sherwood Partners, a Palo Alto, Calif., tech liquidator, is in charge of selling what's left of SunRocket.

SunRocket, based in Vienna, Va., was the No. 2 standalone VoIP provider when it suddenly ceased to function last month. The troubled company was negotiating a possible sale of its customer list with No. 1 provider Vonage before the deal and SunRocket itself went south.

Vonage, located in Holmdel, N.J., is already up to its eyeballs in litigation. It had spent $16 million by mid-year in patent disputes with Verizon and Sprint. Vonage was ordered to pay Verizon $58 million in a suit awaiting a final appeal decision. The Sprint suit is on deck for trial next month. Vonage cut its losses in the most recent quarter to $34 million, down from $74 million a year ago, but this is one company that can't seem to catch a break.

For More:
- The Washington Post story is here [1]
- Cade Metz picked up the story for The Register here [2]
- Russell Shaw at ZDNet saw this one coming here [3]

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