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Apple Must Pay VirnetX $625 Million Over Patent Violations

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Feb 3, 2016, 6:24 PM   by Eric M. Zeman

Apple has been ordered to compensate VirnetX $625 million for using one of the company's patents without permission. VirnetX's patent covers "the use of a domain-name service to set up virtual private networks." Under VirnetX's patent, the VPNs are then used by corporations to communicate with customers or employees. VirnetX claimed Apple used the patent in its iMessage and FaceTime apps, and a Texas jury agreed. The original complaint was filed years ago and has been bouncing around courts since 2012. VirnetX first won a judgement against Apple for $368 million in 2013, but that award was vacated in 2014. VirnetX sought $532 million in the trial that began January 25 of this year, but the jury decided Apple willfully violated the patent and upped the total award to $625 million. Apple immediately requested the judge declare a mistrial, saying VirnetX's lawyers confused and misled the jury during closing arguments. The judge didn't immediately respond to Apple's request. VirnetX, a patent-licensing firm, has filed similar complaints against other companies.

Reuters / CNBC »

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thebriang

Feb 4, 2016, 1:06 PM

Shocker...

a troll patent firm wins a lawsuit in East Texas Federal Court. Those idiots shouldn't even be allowed to hear Tech or IP Patent cases, as their verdict statements repeatedly show.

And I love how no stories about patent lawsuits actually give the patent number anymore, and sometimes you Really have to search for it, as if they don't want you to read how shady their "patent" really is.

I mean I don't especially like Apple, but I hate some patent trolls even more, at least Apple makes a product.
Apples statement says that Virnetx's patents were previously invalidated by the USPTO, so how the judge can still find in their favor I don't know.

Oh. East Texas.
http://www.investorvillage.com/uploads/82599/files/F ... »

Patents 6,502,135; 7,490,151; 7,418,514; 7,921,211

For a company with only 112 patents and 75 pending, VirnetX hit a grand slam (chose the right venue, persuaded a jury to make ...
(continues)
Though I really think Apple is getting what they deserve, I agree with you emphatically. If the only choices were to keep things as they are or do away with the patent system entirely, I honestly believe we would be better with no patent system.
...
Zpike

Feb 4, 2016, 10:22 AM

Just goes to show

>>VirnetX claimed Apple used the patent in its iMessage and FaceTime apps, and a Texas jury agreed.

Funny how these cases turn out when they're not tried in Apple's hometown.

>>VirnetX first won a judgement against Apple for $368 million in 2013, but that award was vacated in 2014.

How many people are willing to bet that award was vacated any place in the universe other than Lucy Koh's courtroom?


It just goes to show that patent cases should never be tried on either party's side of the tracks.
 
 
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