Apple Ordered to Pay VirnetX Another $502.8 Million for Patent Infringement

A jury today ruled that Apple owes VirnetX $502.8 million for patent infringement in an ongoing legal battle that has spanned 10 years. The dispute started in 2010, when VirnetX accused Apple's FaceTime feature of infringing on VirnetX patents.

virnetx apple
According to Bloomberg, the jury in the case was asked to determine how much Apple owes VirnetX in royalties for VPN on Demand, an iPhone feature that lets people access virtual private networks.

VirnetX wanted Apple to pay $700 million, while Apple argued that it should pay $113 million, based on a royalty rate of 19 cents per unit. The jury instead decided on the 84 cent per unit total.

There are two separate lawsuits in the VirnetX vs. Apple legal battle, pertaining to older and newer Apple devices. Earlier this year, Apple was ordered to pay VirnetX $454 million, so this second award will be in addition to that first payment. When it comes to this case, VirnetX was originally awarded $502 million, but the ruling was partially overturned in 2019 and sent back to the lower courts to determine new damages.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...

Top Rated Comments

Kierkegaarden Avatar
69 months ago
Why was the jury asked to determine a royalty amount? Was the jury made up of people that specialize in licensing, or did they just pull this number out of a hat?
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nogi Memes Avatar
69 months ago
The penalty is greater than the market cap of VirtnetX as of the closing bell on Friday (393.66M). Apple should have just bought VirtnetX.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bLackjackj Avatar
69 months ago

Why is patent trolling still not a crime??

Jury? More like a bunch of moronic monkeys.

RIGGA MORRIS
Where is the trolling & who are you calling a moronic monkey, Lol...Apple had offered to pay 112m for using patented technology!

You cannot just take patented technology owned by whomever & use it for your own self gain whithout paying...?
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Psychicbob Avatar
69 months ago

Why was the jury asked to determine a royalty amount? Was the jury made up of people that specialize in licensing, or did they just pull this number out of a hat?
Pulled out of somewhere but it wasn’t a hat!
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
69 months ago
Why is patent trolling still not a crime??

RIGGA MORRIS
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dogslobber Avatar
69 months ago
Don't steal other company's IP.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)