Apple Fails to Avoid Paying $ 440 Million for VirnetX Patent Infringement

The US Supreme Court today refused to hear an appeal from Apple, which hoped to avoid paying about $ 440 million for the use of VirnetX patents without its permission

The lawsuit has been going on since 2010 when VirnetX filed a lawsuit in the eastern Texas federal court, accusing Apple of infringing four patents related to virtual private networks and secure communications. According to VirnetX, Apple has infringed patents on FaceTime and VPN on Demand features available on products such as iPhone and iPad.

In 2016, the jury found that Apple violated VirnetX patents and ordered the offender to pay $ 302 million. Subsequently, the judge increased this amount to $ 439.7 million, including interest and other expenses.

The U.S. Federal District Court of Appeals in Washington, which specializes in patent litigation, upheld the decision against Apple last year.

During the trial, Apple and other companies requested the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to check the validity of the VirnetX patents. The tribunal overturned the key parts of the patents in the case, but the appeals court overturned some decisions of the tribunal. As a result, VirnetX is one step closer to receiving the amount due to it. However, Apple filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, claiming that the damages should be recounted, since the VirnetX patents in the lawsuit were almost null and void.

The current refusal of the US Supreme Court means that the earlier decision to pay compensation remains in force.