Apple Now Relaying All FaceTime Calls Due To Lost Patent Dispute

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday September 1, 2013 @02:40AM from the call-differently dept.

Em Adespoton writes "Before the VirnetX case, nearly all FaceTime calls were done through a system of direct communication. Essentially, Apple would verify that both parties had valid FaceTime accounts and then allow their two devices to speak directly to each other over the Internet, without any intermediary or 'relay' servers. However, a small number of calls—5 to 10 percent, according to an Apple engineer who testified at trial—were routed through 'relay servers.' At the August 15 hearing, a VirnetX lawyer stated that Apple had logged 'over half a million calls' complaining about the quality of FaceTime [since disabling direct connections]."

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Re:What patent? by teg · 2013-09-01 03:17 · Score: 5, Informative

What is the patent involved here? Establishing a connection between two entities on an IP network? NAT traversal techniques? Usage of Interactive Connectivity Establishment protocols?
Following links in the article will eventually get you to an article listing the patents.