enpan's Patent & Linux practice: 蘋果這回栽在NPE手上，被判損害賠償6億美元

2016年2月5日星期五

蘋果這回栽在NPE手上，被判損害賠償6億美元 - VirnetX v. Apple

VirnetX是個非實施專利實體（NPE），宣稱擁有80件專利，經查目前以VirnetX為專利權人的美國專利有48件，靠專利授權獲利，員工只有14位。

http://virnetx.com/

VirnetX告上Apple Inc.，認為Apple侵害其4件專利權，相關被告疑似侵權程式如iMessage, Facetime等。報導指出，VirnetX曾於2012年獲得法院判決Apple應賠其3億多美元的勝訴，不過經Apple上訴，法院判VirnetX敗訴，理由是無法證明消費者之所以買Apple iPad等裝置是因為其中侵害專利權的軟體程式。

案件發回地院重審賠償金額，不料，新的陪審團認為Apple有蓄意侵犯專利權，因此又多罰了2億多美元。

訴訟討論：

受理法院：東德州地方法院
原告：VirnetX Inc.
被告：Apple Inc.
系爭專利：
US6,502,135、US7,490,151、US7,418,504、US7,921,211

系爭專利與權力主張的概要：
Apple's VPN on Demand 侵害US6,502,135與US7,490,151（判賠3億3千萬美元）；
The FaceTime 蓄意侵害，這判賠2億9千萬美元。

第二次地院陪審團又多判了Apple應繳付2億多的賠償金給VirnetX。

系爭專利US6,502,135是建立VPN通道的技術，包括從客戶端電腦產生DNS請求，要取得IP，接著判斷是否此請求是要存取安全網站，之後根據得到的DNS，自動起始VPN通道。

1. A method of transparently creating a virtual private network (VPN) between a client computer and a target computer, comprising the steps of:

(1) generating from the client computer a Domain Name Service (DNS) request that requests an IP address corresponding to a domain name associated with the target computer;

(2) determining whether the DNS request transmitted in step (1) is requesting access to a secure web site; and

(3) in response to determining that the DNS request in step (2) is requesting access to a secure target web site, automatically initiating the VPN between the client computer and the target computer.

系爭專利US7,490,151界定一個數據處理裝置，有記憶體儲存DNS代理模組，可以取得網路上請求（對應伺服器）DNS的訊息，比對是否符合安全伺服器，藉此可以起始經加密的通道（VPN）。

1. A data processing device, comprising memory storing a domain name server (DNS) proxy module that intercepts DNS requests sent by a client and, for each intercepted DNS request, performs the steps of:

(i) determining whether the intercepted DNS request corresponds to a secure server;

(ii) when the intercepted DNS request does not correspond to a secure server, forwarding the DNS request to a DNS function that returns an IP address of a nonsecure computer, and

(iii) when the intercepted DNS request corresponds to a secure server, automatically initiating an encrypted channel between the client and the secure server.

系爭專利US7,418,504揭露提供網域名稱以建立安全連線的技術，系統如請求項1，包括有網域名稱伺服器，其中儲存網域名稱與對應的位址，同樣也支援建立客戶-系統端的安全通道（VPN）。
1. A system for providing a domain name service for establishing a secure communication link, the system comprising:

a domain name service system configured to be connected to a communication network, to store a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses, to receive a query for a network address, and to comprise an indication that the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

系爭專利US7,921,211揭露提供網域名稱以建立安全通道，系統即包括有網域名稱伺服器，可以根據DNS請求而進一步建立安全通道。

1. A system for providing a domain name service for establishing a secure communication link, the system comprising:

a domain name service system configured and arranged to be connected to a communication network, store a plurality of domain names and corresponding network addresses, receive a query for a network address, and indicate in response to the query whether the domain name service system supports establishing a secure communication link.

從這幾件專利特徵看來，直指iPhone或iPad中iMessage, Facetime訊號載送在安全通道的技術，先得到DNS後，建立VPN看來是個標準動作，不容易迴避。

補充：
雖說VirnetX是個NPE，也有說是Patent Troll，倒是他們還為了這個自動DNS建立安全連線的機制註冊服務商標，提到相關軟體的功能如下，這樣不是...就超命中：
"Our software and technology solutions provide the security platform required by next-generation Internet-based applications such as instant messaging, or IM, voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, mobile services, streaming video, file transfer and remote desktop."