vr0513

auxio said:

Sorry, but you know something is wrong with a system when someone can spend a couple of hours writing an intentionally broadly worded technology idea down on a piece of paper, send it to the patent office, and then later have that patent bought by a company which has deep pockets to go after companies which, you know, actually create products, and have that company get almost half a billion dollars for it.  A few hours spent and someone gets half a billion dollars.  What behaviour are we incentivizing here?  Why actually do hard work and create things when you can get paid for doing next to nothing?

VirnetX is a spinoff of the former federal contractor Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a company which developed security technology for Homeland Security and other federal agencies. All of the patents held by VirnetX were co-invented by VirtnetX's Founder and CTO, Dr. Robert Short. So to say that VirnetX is a patent troll and just bought this patent to go after Apple is just straight WRONG. Please do some research before you accuse!

SpamSandwich said:

vr0513 said:

SpamSandwich said:

I think someone working on Apple’s legal team needs to be fired.

Apple hired a different legal team about 2 years or so ago because that law firm wasn't able to get this case thrown out. This one is clearly also not up to snuff. It's clear all Apple is doing is delaying the inevitable at this point because the legal system is allowing them to do so.

They’re not delaying anything now. They lost.

If I understand correctly they technically have 1 more appeal on this case. There is nothing in this particular case left to appeal, but it essentially extends the case by another 30 days or so. That would be delaying the inevitable. If Apple does appeal, all it would accomplish is add 30 days of interest on the $440 million + interest payout.

1STnTENDERBITS said:

BuffyzDead said:

 Does VirnetX actually manufacture anything?
As in, are any products manufactured, featuring the  VirnetX technology?

 Manufacturing a product is not a prerequisite of a patent validity... particularly for software patents.  But to answer your question directly, yes VirnetX patents are licensed in software from the likes of Microsoft, Siemens, NEC Corp, and Avaya.  They also have a software suite on the market that utilizes the patents.  To be fair, that software suite could be junk specifically put on the market to bolster their position.   You can judge for yourself.  https://www.virnetx.com/

Apple has lost this battle in almost every conceivable way.  At some point you'd think they would abandon the Samsung strategy of appeal, appeal, and if you still don't win... appeal again.  

I've always felt that if Apple finally came to an agreement with VirnetX, they could expand the reach of FaceTime and iMessage.

As much as I support VirnetX in this legal battle- to say that Apple has lost in every conceivable way is a bit of a misnomer. Nearly every time Apple has appealed or filed a motion, they've gotten SOMETHING out of it, not always necessarily a win, but they've won things like additional trials, separating trials, reduced damages (by way of reducing willfulness charges), among other things. Apple's tactics since the beginning has been all about stalling. They stall in the hopes that VirnetX will give up. They stall in the hopes that VirnetX's counsel will give up. They stall in the hopes that shareholders will give up too. Apple has accrued more than enough expenses at this point to buy out VirnetX or pay the verdict in full. They've got enough money that this seems to be an exercise of "Yeah we have to pay up, but let's see how long we can avoid that"