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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uhuh sure by Joining+Yet+Again · 2013-09-01 02:43 · Score: 5, Interesting

Nothing to do with ability to intercept.
1. Re:uhuh sure by bmo · 2013-09-01 04:46 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  This is marked troll, but consider that Skype has been taken from a distributed system to a system with a central server farm in Redmond.
  Totally more inefficient for users (relaying makes Skype suck more), but much more efficient for TLAs.
  And considering recent events (and events over the past 20 years, really) it's common sense.
  --
  BMO
What patent? by loufoque · 2013-09-01 02:53 · Score: 4, Interesting

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?