Apple has a couple different patent fights ongoing with VirnetX, but one of them has finally reached its conclusion.
This particular case between VirnetX and Apple is tied to virtual private network (VPN)-related patents, and has been going on since 2010. In 2016, Apple was ordered to pay VirnetX a total of $302.4 million. However, due to ballooning attorney fees and interest, Apple must now pay VirnetX $440 million, which was ruled on by a U.S. Court of Appeals in January of last year.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has been working on as many appeals as it can over the years, trying to not only get the money owed to VirnetX lowered, but also have the decisions tossed out in some cases so it doesn’t have to pay anything. Unfortunately for Apple none of that has really worked out. And the latest decision in the case is no different.
A report today from Reuters says that the United States Supreme Court has decided to decline to hear Apple’s appeal of the $440 million judgment against it. Apple has been arguing in its appeals that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has canceled critical parts of the patents in question, but various courts in the process have rescinded those cancellations, making Apple’s argument a nonstarter.
With the U.S. Supreme Court refusing to hear Apple’s appeal, that means the company is now officially, unequivocally tasked with forking over the $440 million to VirnetX for the VPN-related patent trial.
In the other case against VirnetX, the U.S. Court of Appeals actually vacated VirnetX’s $503 million patent win against Apple, but it wasn’t all a win for the company. That particular battle saw the court reverse two patent infringement cases, while confirming another two. So that one is still ongoing.