The VirnetX Company has done the impossible & defeated Apple in court. It was announced on November 1st after ten years of cases against Apple; a Texas Jury has determined that the tech conglomerate must pay out $502.8 Million in royalties. This follows after evidence indicates that Apple uses the “VPN on Demand” technology operated by VirnetX, which Apple stole to maintain its FaceTime service. VirnetX filed patents on the “VPN on Demand” service in 2010, which follow the exact formula Apple uses for FaceTime. It’s unsurprising that when the case went to a jury, they determined that $502.8 million must be paid out.

The Apple Company actively avoided this case, reaching a jury, knowing that implicating evidence wouldn’t lean in their favour. Lawyers under the employment of Apple are refusing to give up against VirnetX, confirming that they’ll appeal the decision & that implicating patents don’t sustain enough evidence to suggest the core operations of FaceTime are consistent with “VPN on Demand”. Apple would then use an excuse that they are infamous for accomplishing in numerous industries, with representatives stating that VirnetX is stifling innovation for consumers. Considering that Apple regularly stifles innovation for international customers, their excuses are irrelevant & borderline ignorant.

Appealing is Foolish

Analysts anticipate that Apple will see the US Court System reject their appeal. It’d be consistent with VirnetX winning another case earlier this year. However, Apple hopes that history will repeat itself similarly to 2018. A Texas Judge ordered in 2018 that Apple payout $502.8 Million in royalties to VirnetX. That decision was overruled by a panel of three judges, prompting another year of unneeded court involvement.

Judges ordered a jury be instituted for this case & within days of being called for assessment, jurors came to their conclusion. It was read to the court by the leading juror that Apple had knowingly underlined the technology of iMessage & FaceTime by stealing patent information from VirnetX. Apple will likely fail in their appeal process, with most judges standing behind the decision of a jury. Lawyers from Apple will have to prove without a doubt that jurors were corrupted into swaying the decision.