The IT industry suffers disproportionately from patent trolling, and many – including President Obama – have called for change. I'm glad VirnetX got slapped in the face and has to go through it all again and burn through more cash. Apple, meanwhile, have called it a mistrial. SAIC had approached me to spin out this technology into a new communications security firm because I had served as the senior vice president of the security products division of Phoenix Technologies as well as a senior VP at RSA Security Inc. SAIC is a defense contractor that doesn’t make products, but they clearly saw the potential of zero-click technology for securing the fast-evolving Internet. And the scientists, despite having to give up their job security at SAIC to join VirnetX, saw the enormous potential as well. Nowhere is mentioned that all patents at issue in the on-going VirnetX/Apple trials have been ruled invalid by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), an expert-staffed agency, part of the USPTO itself which issues the patents. VirnetX is simply a patent troll. Apple’s never-ending battle with notorious patent troll VirnetX continues today. Joe Mullin - Feb 3, 2016 10:49 pm UTC What, exactly, is a patent troll? It's telling that in the first half of last year, nearly half of all patent cases in the US were filed in East Texas. 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It led to the formation of Qualcomm, Verisign and many other companies in the Internet and tech sectors. Just ask Jason Bourne — or rather, the thousands of men and women who risk their lives every day overseas to keep our nation safe. Our story begins in 1999, when In-Q-Tel, the venture capital arm of the Central Intelligence Agency, asked the $4 billion defense contractor SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) to solve a national security problem. Given this, why did the East Texas jury find Apple guilty of all charges? Little wonder that many patent trolls head straight to Texas. On February 3, 2016, a federal district court jury ruled that Apple must pay my company, VirnetX, $625 million for willfully infringing four of our patents. According to Steven Callahan, an IP lawyer based in Texas, there's been a 78 per cent win rate for defendants challenging the validity of patents by citing the "Alice" case. VirnetX (NYSE: VHC) is a publicly traded Internet security software and technology company based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. Two weeks ago a US company few people had heard of, called VirnetX, was awarded $625.6m by a court in East Texas, when a jury found that Apple had infringed four of its patents. CCIA’s members include Amazon, Samsung and Google. Because the little guy is a 'patent troll', stifling innovation by abusing the system, says Rhodri Marsden, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Apple and licensing firm VirnetX have been in something of a legal spat for around a decade, all relating to claimed patent infringements by the iPhone maker. If fighting for our rights makes us patent trolls, then Lady Justice herself is a troll. Apple has been told to pay a hefty fine to a small company for patent infringement. A federal appeals court in January rejected Apple’s bid to overturn a 2016 patent infringement suit, a case that has revived debate about the need for patent reform to thwart so-called “patent trolls.” This pejorative term refers to companies that acquire patents for the sole purpose of generating revenue through patent-infringement lawsuits. In January 2014, VirnetX, considered by many (including me) to be a “patent troll,” filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas seeking to supplement its infringement contentions against Apple, the defendant in a patent infringement lawsuit. If your patent is being infringed across the US, in theory you have a choice of where you decide to sue, and certain courts are seen as more favourable to the patentee. Apple has been ordered to pay $502.8 million to patent troll VirnetX as per a jury’s ruling in Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. The effect on us, the end consumer, is difficult to measure. Until then, secure real-time communications had been far too slow and cumbersome, typically requiring 150-200 keystrokes and a lot of IT handshaking on both ends. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The tech giant is accused of violating four patents. Apple Inc. was told to pay VirnetX Holding Corp. $502.8 million, the latest jury verdict in a decade-long saga over patents for secure communications. Patent Troll VirnetX Wants To Ban FaceTime and iMessage, Increase Damages Award By $190M Submission: Patent troll VirnetX awarded $626M in damages from Apple Apple Fails To Overturn VirnetX Patent Verdict, Could Owe Over $1.1 Billion The tech giant is accused of violating four patents. They turned out to be just slightly wrong on their facts. Troll VirnetX as per a jury ’ s members include Amazon, Samsung and Google this, did! Company based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada is difficult, '' says Davies 'David ' ISS skills... 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