VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC), an internet security software company, revealed that it expanded its patent lawsuit against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) after receiving approval for two patents from the United States Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO).
According to VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC), the two patents cover security technologies the System and Method Employing an Agile Network Protocol for Secure Communications Using Secure Domain Names (US. Patent No. 8,504, 696), and System and Method Employing an Agile Network Protocol for Secure Communications Using Secure Domain Names, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. Patent No. 8,504,697).
Apple charged with patent violations on many recent models
The company said that additional charges filed against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in its pending patent complaint are related to the newly approved patent 697 and alleged that the tech giant violated its technology in the iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5th Generation, iPad 4th Generation, iPad Mini, and the latest Macintosh computers.
In a statement, Kendall Larsen, president and CEO of VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC) said, “We are very pleased to add these new patents to our patent portfolio. Our patent portfolio consists of quality, essential patents and we believe these new patents will strengthen our ongoing licensing efforts to the mobile markets.”
In 2010, the company sued Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) for allegedly violating its patents related to VPN technology.
Apple previously found guilty of similar charges by VirnetX
Last year, a federal jury in Texas found that iPhone and iPad maker violated the internet security company’s patent, which was used in Apple’s FaceTime function in its products. The court ordered the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to pay $368.2 million damages to VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC).
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) contested the decision of the court. However, a U.S. district court upheld the prior decision of the federal jury in Texas ordering the tech giant to pay $368.2 million to the internet security-software company earlier this year.
Last month, the International Trade Commission said its members voted in favor of starting a new investigation against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The investigation was based on a complaint filed by VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSEMKT:VHC) accusing the tech giant of infringing its patents covering a secure connection between two computers in a network, and wants to prevent Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) from shipping its products to the United States. Observers in the tech industry believe that the two companies might reach a settlement or licensing agreement.
