December 28, 2010 - A non-practicing entity (NPE) called Gradient Enterprises, Inc. filed a patent lawsuit against VoIP giant Skype Technologies S.A. on December 21, claiming infringement of its patent on a method of network monitoring.
Gradient's patent, U.S. Patent no. 7,669,207, covers a “METHOD FOR DETECTING, REPORTING AND RESPONDING TO NETWORK NODE-LEVEL EVENTS AND A SYSTEM THEREOF”. Gradient alleges that Skype's "super-node" system - a system of computers on the public Internet that broker communication between Skype users who are behind firewalls - infringes the patent.