VirnetX slaps Apple with another FaceTime lawsuit

Apple gets hit with another FaceTime suit.

VirnetX is looking to squeeze a little more juice from Apple, pressing the company with another round of patent infringement lawsuits.
In fact, earlier this week a Texas court ordered Apple to pay the internet security software and technology company $368 million (UK£231, AUD$353) over patent violations involving FaceTime.
"We are extremely pleased with the outcome of our suit with Apple," VirnetX CEO Kendall Larsen said in a press release. "This victory further establishes the importance of our patent portfolio."
With this new round of infringement complaints coming, VirnetX is further testing the portfolio's worth.

Same suit, new products

The grievances are the same as its last suit, but now VirnetX is targeting the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, iPad 4, iPod Touch 5 and the latest desktop Macs. The company is looking to clean up the devices that were too new to be included in the first round.
VirnetX sought $708 million (UK£442, AUD$680) in damages, but had to settle for about half that amount after the court's ruling. The complaint included four networking patents filed between 2002 and 2011 that FaceTime allegedly infringed on.
Some of the patents cover: technology that creates a virtual private network between two computers, a protocol for securing communications using secure domain names, and a method that establishes a secure communications connection based on a domain name service request.

VirnetX's victories

VirnetX is known for aggressively protecting its patents, going after big tech companies that infringe on its properties. In 2010, it won a $200 million (UK£125, AUD$192) claim against Microsoft.
VirnetX is also currently slugging it out with Cisco, Avaya and Siemens in infringement courts.
The multimillion dollar settlement shouldn't put too big a dent in Apple's billions in quarterly profits, though the suits could have other ramifications.
VirnetX's legal victories could back up claims filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, leading to possible sales bans on some Apple products.
For now VirnetX is looking to take a victory lap in courts and skin a little bit more green off Apple.

Via CNET

Apple ordered to pay millions in FaceTime patent suit loss

Bummer

A U.S. court has ordered Apple to fork over $368 million (UK£231, AUD$353) to a U.S. company in a FaceTime patent dispute.
The prosecuting company - Connecticut-based VirnetX - claimed the FaceTime feature in several Apple devices infringes on patents owned by the firm.
VirnetX originally sought $708 million (UK£442, AUD$680) however it looks like, pending an appeal, it will have to settle for almost half.
Though Apple likely won't miss a few hundred million from its billions in quarterly profit, VirnetX's win potentially backs up a claim filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that could lead to a sales ban of some of Apple's most popular products.

FaceTime trouble

According to its website, VirnetX is an internet security software and technology company with patented technology for 4G LTE security.
Its court case centered on allegations that the FaceTime application on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac computers violate four VirnetX patents registered between 2002 and 2011.
If Apple wanted to use its patents, VirnextX claimed, should have paid license fees for technologies that include a method of creating a secure communication link between different types of computers using Tunneled Agile Routing Protocol (TARP).

Viral VirnetX

In a somewhat snarky post-trial comment, VirnetX CEO Kendal Larsen stated in a press release that its win "further establishes the importance of our paten portfolio."
A VirnetX lawyer stated after the ruling that the company would file an order seeking to block "further use of its inventions."
The company has slung similar claims against Microsoft (it won $200 million/UK£125/AUD$192 in that 2010 case), Cisco, Siemens and other firms.
Apple, which denied infringement and maintained the technology covered in the patents is a small part of its systems, can appeal the decision.

Via BBC, Bloomberg