VirnetX Heads Back to Courts with New Patent Lawsuit Against Apple

If at first you (do) succeed, try again?

Internet security software and technology company VirnetX is heading back to the courts immediately following that Apple infringed on the company's patents for virtual private networks — to the tune of $368.2 million in damages, reports The Next Web's Robin Wauters.

So, why round two? It's simple: VirnetX is again accusing Apple of willfully infringing four of its patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135, 7,418,504, 7,921,211 and 7,490,151. The very four patents, we note, that VirnetX just won its large payout on.

Only, this time, VirnetX is adding a few new products into the mix – namely, the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, fourth-generation iPad, fifth-generation iPad Touch, and what the company describes in its filling as the, "latest Macintosh computers." These are all devices that, due to their launch dates, were not included in VirnetX's original lawsuit — they're also all devices that feature the FaceTime capabilities over which VirnetX is basing its allegations of patent infringement.

As before, VirnetX is looking for the courts to grant a preliminary injunction against the named devices in addition to damages.

It remains to be seen just how long it might take the courts to decide VirnetX's latest claims. VirnetX filed its original complaint against Apple in August of 2010, the same year the company won damages of $200 million against Microsoft for infringing the company's patents.

Following the announcement of VirnetX's victory over Apple in its first FaceTime patent case, VirnetX shares rose $6.15, or 23 percent, to $32.44.

 

For more tech tidbits from David Murphy, follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@thedavidmurphy).