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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).

12 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. So f*cked up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The Patent Office should be dismantled (along with the TSA)

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

      As much as I dislike Apple - for being patent trolls and bullies - it makes me sick to my stomach this happened to them. I mean I enjoy the suffering and all, it's just a really bad thing for the tech world in general. The patent trolling, not Apple suffering.

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    2. Re:So f*cked up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Apple suffering over this, means *we all* suffer. To Apple, this is just raising the bar to market entry. $368 millions is peanuts to them. Effectively, this just means a steep artificial fee at the troll gate, which effectively supports the dinosaurs just fine. They don't care that they're sucking the life-blood of the economy. So if reform should start somewhere, it should start with the law and financials.

    3. Re:So f*cked up by pecosdave · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In this particular case Apple suffering may help us all.

      Remember the famous patent troll of recent past Amazon? Now Amazon is actually starting to suggest patents are going overboard and trolls need to be shut down. If Apple gets on the losing end of enough of these battles they may actually join hands with Amazon and *gasp* Samsung when they've had enough to lobby to fix the problem.

      Until then troll them and the other patent troll companies until they have a change of heart.

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

      Fine.

      Patent abuser then.

      Let the trolls attack the abusers.

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    5. 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.

    6. Re:So f*cked up by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Bullshit. Apple uses their patents to prevent competition by refusing to license them even though they are for ridiculous things like rectangles and such. If you're preventing innovation by using patents for your own commercial gain, you're a patten troll. There are many ways to do this, apple is very good at their brand. VirnetX is very good at theirs. The fact that 2 patent trolls are battling it out doesn't make one the good guy. The sad state of affairs is that our system is so broken its turning companies that really don't want to be a part of this nonsense into trolls themselves. It's getting to be the only way to do business anymore.

  2. Schadenfreude? No so fast... by Penguinisto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yes, it's good to see a patent pest get what's coming to 'em, but consider... the plaintiff was nothing more than a patent troll.

    Personally, *ALL* software patents should die.

    Good luck getting anyone in power to agree to that, though. :(

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  3. Re:Apple and their patent wars by pecosdave · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I took this picture while I was in Manhattan this summer. I took the picture due to that saying, there was a part of me laughing hysterically at the glass houses thing.

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  4. so sorry but... by CosaNostra+Pizza+Inc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sorry but I just don't feel any pity for Apple at all...not after the $1Billion law suit they brought against Samsung for patents on trivial things like rounded corners and icon grids. What goes around, comes around.

  5. 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.

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  6. I need QuickTime to view the patent diagrams? by Impish · · Score: 4, Interesting

    To view the Apple patent diagrams on the US patent site my browser informs me I need to run Apple Quicktime? Why isn't the patent office using PNG images?