Internet telephone provider Vonage has reached a settlement in its patent dispute with Nortel. Vonage won't pay for past damages, and both companies have agreed to a cross-licensing deal instead. The settlement ends the last of the company's pending legal battles with major telecom carriers and equipment makers. If the Internet telephone company has truly put its legal problems in its past — not a forgone conclusion — the company may now move on to address problems. Problems like providing reliable service at a profit. Oh yes, that. [Reuters]