Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple Loses Patent Case For FaceTime Tech, Owes $368 Million

Posted by Soulskill on from the we-invented-the-transmission-of-data dept.

beeudoublez writes "Apple was ordered to pay $368 million today to a software company named VirnetX over patents related to Apple's FaceTime technology. Apple engineers testified they didn't pay attention to any patents when building FaceTime. 'The jury, which had sat through the five-day trial, ruled that Apple infringed two patents: one for a method of creating a virtual private network (VPN) between computers, and another for solving DNS security issues. ... It's not the first time VirnetX has won a payout from a major tech firm: the company bagged $105.7m from Microsoft two years ago, and it may not be the last either. VirnetX has a separate case against Apple pending with the International Trade Commission and it has court cases against Cisco, Avaya and Siemens scheduled for trial next year.'" It's not all bad news for Apple today, though — according to Ars, they've won a new patent for a rounded rectangle (D670,286).

3 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So f*cked up by pecosdave · · Score: 4, Informative

    Fine.

    Patent abuser then.

    Let the trolls attack the abusers.

    --
    The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
  2. Please stop calling "design patents" "patents". by John+Hasler · · Score: 4, Informative

    They are really more a kind of trademark registration. They deal only with appearance and never with utility.

    --
    Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  3. Re:So f*cked up by tricorn · · Score: 4, Informative

    That's a design patent, which really has little to do with "real" patents. It's closer to a trademark than a normal patent.