VirnetX Holding Corp, considered a patent troll in tech circles, has been awarded $502.6 million by a federal jury in Texas for its ongoing dispute with Apple. The dispute, which is now in its eighth year, involves four patents related to secure communications which are being used by Apple for its FaceTime, VPN on Demand and iMessage features.
It’s worth noting that VirnetX, in an SEC filing, has described its approach to making money by saying that its “portfolio of intellectual property is the foundation our business model.” The company accordingly filed its lawsuit in patent troll-friendly East Texas, a district where patent holders see a higher chance of success in intellectual property disputes.
