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Web security company gets $368 million in Apple suitNov 09, 2012 (Tyler Morning Telegraph - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A federal jury in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas awarded VirnetX $368 million in damages on Tuesday in its patent infringement suit against Apple. VirnetX had asked for $708 million in damages from Apple after alleging the company had stolen technology for use in its iPhones and iPads, which would provide for secure Internet connections. U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis presided over the weeklong trial. VirnetX filed the lawsuit in 2011 in the Eastern District. The suit alleged that Apple began using its invention, which was patented in 2000, in its iPhone and iPad products, VirnetX attorney Douglas Cawley said. Phone calls and e-mails to Apple seeking comment on Wednesday and asking if the corporation had plans to appeal the verdict were not returned. Dr. Bob Short, who works for VirnetX, along with several others, developed an application known as Gabriel. When someone types in a domain name for a website, Gabriel intercepts it to see if it secure, he said. If the website is secure, Gabriel creates a Virtual Private Network, which can be used on a smartphone or a tablet, Short said on Wednesday. It is this invention, which Short alleges that Apple uses in its iPhone and iPad products. "I would like to work out a reasonable license with Apple if they would give us an avenue," Short said on the first day of the trial. ___ (c)2012 Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, Texas) Visit Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, Texas) at www.tylerpaper.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |