Apple ordered to pay VirnetX $363K daily in patent dispute
Here's one way to force two warring companies to hash things out. A federal judge has ordered Apple to cough up more than US$360,000 daily to VirnetX until the two can come to an agreement on the former licensing four of the latter's patents.
The penalties stem from a verdict delivered in November of 2012 which found that Apple's FaceTime and iMessage infringed on four of VirnetX's patents. A jury in Texas awarded VirnetX $368.2 million in damages, and Apple can still appeal that verdict.
US Circuit Judge Leonard Davis has ordered Apple to pay $330,000 in damages and $33,000 in interest to VirnetX daily for the next 45 days, or more than $16 million in total, in an effort to get the two companies to the bargaining table. Additionally, Davis is making the companies meet with a mediator in an effort to help them reach a licensing deal.
If a deal can't be ironed out before the 45-day period ends, VirnetX will be able to seek a sales ban on devices it believes are in violation of its patents, which originally included the iPhone 4 and first-generation iPad.
