Nomadix spokespeople have not been available to comment on the Acacia redirect patent but the company released the following statement today: "We recently became aware of Acacia's allegations and are presently investigating the situation. Nomadix has always respected the valid and enforceable patent rights of others in our industry as we expect our competitors to do the same," said Kurt Bauer, CEO of Nomadix. "We are communicating with our customers and partners to ensure them that business continues as normal and we will stand behind them. Nomadix remains committed to providing the best quality of service and support and is looking forward to continued market success for all parties involved."
We reported on Tuesday that Acacia, a company that buys and enforces patents, has begun informing hotspot operators that they now owe royalties for using redirect technology. Nomadix also owns a patent that covers a certain type of redirect function. It's still not clear if Nomadix sees overlap between its patent and Acacia's patent.
Some hotspot operators have suggested that they are protected against such royalty demands due to agreements made with vendors in their purchase orders. Rob Berman, executive vice president of business development and general counsel for Acacia, suggests that operators may be limited in their abilities to approach vendors. "In many cases the equipment is not manufactured specifically to redirect people," Berman said. "It could be used in a variety of different ways. I seriously doubt the manufacturer would cover this part of use of the equipment."