AT&T and Verizon Drop Lawsuits Over Ad Campaigns

[MacRumors]

Dow Jones Newswires reports in a brief note that AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon regarding Verizon's recent ad campaigns targeting AT&T's 3G coverage has been dismissed.

AT&T Inc. (T) on Wednesday dismissed its lawsuit against Verizon Wireless and its recent "There's A Map For That" campaign.

AT&T had already suffered a legal setback when a judge rejected its request to pull the ads last month, which the Dallas carrier argued inaccurately suggested inferior network coverage. The court ruled that Verizon Wireless's ads, which showed maps comparing coverage, clearly talked about third-generation, or 3G, coverage.

The court's rejection of AT&T's request for a restraining order barring Verizon from airing ads using map-based comparisons of 3G coverage had slated a December 16th date for arguments in the suit, but AT&T has apparently decided not to pursue legal remedy regarding this issue.

Digital Daily also reports that Verizon has dropped a related lawsuit against AT&T, suggesting that the two companies may have come to a mutual agreement to drop their legal battle in what has been seen by many as a waste of time and money and a generator of bad publicity for the companies.

Article Link: AT&T and Verizon Drop Lawsuits Over Ad Campaigns

 

[Pared]

Man I really enjoyed all the mud-slinging too.

 

[kdarling]

In related news, the new Droid ad putting down "Princess" phones is out:

'Should a phone be pretty?' ad on YouTube

Basically, we have the light music, joy-joy ads for the iPhone from West coast company Apple... versus the grittier Droid ads from the New York / New Jersey tough-guys+gals company Verizon.

It's all so much fun to watch. Just a few years ago, we'd have never seen this much publicity for smartphones. Love it. Thanks Apple!

 

[bbplayer5]

Owned

Droid ftw! Now bring the iPhone to Verizon and be done with it!

 

[Ted13]

AT&T needs to fire a few lawyers and spend every penny on improving its network ASAP. That is the only way to shut up its critics, Verizon included.

 

[MacManUI]

Fantastic

This news came just moments after I posted the suggestion on AT&T's Facebook page...coincidence? Definitely. Now, for the love of Pete, could they use that lawsuit money to make their 3G map actually be as good as Verizon's?

 

[idea_hamster]

Methinks AT&T's most recent huge, embarrassing failure at the hands of Consumer Reports may have played a part.

I think it's unlikely that they had no idea that was on its way.

Maybe now AT&T will get back to the business of trying to provide basic voice to their NYC market....

 

[Compile 'em all]

Serves them right. Verizon is clearly copying Apple
"Theres a map for that" "Theres an app for that"
hmm...sounds familiar

Copying? The very purpose of the phrase "there is a map for that" was to mock the "app for that" Apple one. So of course it sounds similar. It is supposed to.

 

[antdfsc]

Just got 3G

Is it just a coincidence that I just started getting 3G coverage near my house? I had little to no reception since moving this past year, and last week I had no data network available. Just as I was about to complain I found that I now have 3G service!

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

Hopefully all of this nonsense will help both sides get better. The iPhone has been relatively stagnant since it's debuted and all these competitors are coming out now and shaking up the market. Apple needs to turn the market upside down again. Right now Android 2.0 looks extremely promising.

 

[cmaier]

Serves them right. Verizon is clearly copying Apple
"Theres a map for that" "Theres an app for that"
hmm...sounds familiar

Of course they're copying. It's called satire. That's how satire is done. The ads only work if you realize they're copying.

I can only assume you are kidding.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

In related news, the new Droid ad putting down "Princess" phones is out:

'Should a phone be pretty?' ad on YouTube

Basically, we have the light music, joy-joy ads for the iPhone from West coast company Apple... versus the grittier Droid ads from the New York / New Jersey tough-guys+gals company Verizon.

It's all so much fun to watch. Just a few years ago, we'd have never seen this much publicity for smartphones. Love it. Thanks Apple!

I think that add is pretty funny and does make an intersting point which is not attacking apple but the industry as a whole.

Look at all the phones out there that took a very simular to design with smoot curves like apple and do everything they could to look pretty but offer nothing in real world use.
Way way to many phones take form over function time and time again. I see the droid that went function over form.

 

[johnmcboston]

AT&T needs to fire a few lawyers and spend every penny on improving its network ASAP. That is the only way to shut up its critics, Verizon included.

Agreed. Never mind the stupid Luke Wilson postcard commercial. is that what my monthly fees are really paying for? ugh....

 

[mccldwll]

Methinks AT&T's most recent huge, embarrassing failure at the hands of Consumer Reports may have played a part.

I think it's unlikely that they had no idea that was on its way.

:

Hardly. It's an annual survey and AT&T has never fared very well.

 

[SomeTechGuy]

So this means we get to see more of Luke Wilson, right?

 

[carlgo]

The ads and lawsuits showed everyone how sucky their service is. This was a good public service. Now they are going to keep quiet, provide the same bad service, and make money without having to compete.

The agreement to stop the ads is simply collusion.

 

[p0intblank]

Thank God. It was like two little kids fighting back and forth...

 

[crackbookpro]

...don't mess with the best!

 

[extraextra]

In related news, the new Droid ad putting down "Princess" phones is out:

'Should a phone be pretty?' ad on YouTube

Basically, we have the light music, joy-joy ads for the iPhone from West coast company Apple... versus the grittier Droid ads from the New York / New Jersey tough-guys+gals company Verizon.

It's all so much fun to watch. Just a few years ago, we'd have never seen this much publicity for smartphones. Love it. Thanks Apple!

That ad is interesting. It didn't make me want to buy the phone though, or even spark my interest in the phone. A comparison of features would be a better ad (like the one from Sprint awhile back? At least tell me why your phone is supposedly better!). IMO as someone who texts a lot, this ad is far more compelling. This comment on 1st vid is perfect I think:

"The ad sums it up perfectly. The feeling I get is that the droid is a rock. The iPhone is a diamond.


I prefer diamonds. "

 

[KaneBaker]

...don't mess with the best!

I think you are right AT&T won't mess with Verizon again.

 

[Rot'nApple]

Of course they're copying. It's called satire. That's how satire is done. The ads only work if you realize they're copying.

Kind of like had Verizon accepted Apple's terms for the iPhone and had not missed out and become the poor sports and sour losers they are, and still had to contend with the iPhone's success of making people want to surf the web and consume the bandwidth beyond what Verizon was capable of providing, and AT&T sans iPhone did a commercial with that Verizon guy in glasses, walking all over the place screaming "Can you hear me now?!, Can you hear me now?!, Pllleeeeaaaaasssseee, Can you Hear ME??????" (V-Guy starts to cry) and AT&T announcers smugly says, "It's the network.... Riiiiggghhhhttttt!"

 

[soundbwoy]

In related news, the new Droid ad putting down "Princess" phones is out:

'Should a phone be pretty?' ad on YouTube

Basically, we have the light music, joy-joy ads for the iPhone from West coast company Apple... versus the grittier Droid ads from the New York / New Jersey tough-guys+gals company Verizon.

It's all so much fun to watch. Just a few years ago, we'd have never seen this much publicity for smartphones. Love it. Thanks Apple!

The fun thing is the Droid touts all it does yet I notice it doesn't do multi-touch or video recording or editing or a slew of other things. As per browsing faster via WiFi, it doesn't. Gee sure does a lot doesn't it?

 

[Rot'nApple]

...don't mess with the best!

Unless it involves math!

http://verizonmath.blogspot.com/

 

[GSMiller]

AT&T needs to fire a few lawyers and spend every penny on improving its network ASAP. That is the only way to shut up its critics, Verizon included.

Or better yet spend just a fraction of the cost of actually upgrading your network, and spend a few mil on ads trying to trick consumers.

Anyone noticed in the new AT&T commercial where he's standing on the giant map, he mentions everywhere AT&T has coverage, but not 3G coverage. All the while mentioning Verizon's map, which do show 3G coverage areas.

 

[lightpeak]

Owned

Droid ftw! Now bring the iPhone to Verizon and be done with it!

Apple Insider has it going to T-Mobile in 2010. Suck on it, AT&T.