Apple fights call to block facetime

A patent-licensing firm is seeking to force
Apple to suspend its Facetime and iMessage
services claiming it has suffered "irreparable
harm" as a result of the tech giant's
actions.
VirnetX was awarded $625m (£426m) in
February after a jury found Apple had
wilfully infringed four of its patents.
The Texas-based firm is now seeking further
damages and says Apple should be blocked
from using its technologies to power its video
and text chat apps.
Apple is contesting the case.
It wants the court to disregard the verdict
because the US Patent and Trademark Office
has invalidated VirnetX's claim to the
inventions - but such action by the USPTO is
being challenged in a separate case before the
Supreme Court.
Apple has argued that its customers would be
harmed if it were forced to stop offering
Facetime and iMessage to iPhone, iPad and
Mac owners.
But VirnetX claims the step is warranted as its
own secure messaging and video
conferencing app - Gabriel Collaboration Suite
- is suffering as a consequence.
Some parts of the media have described
VirnetX as being a "patent troll" , but this term
is normally reserved for firms that own
inventions but never apply them to a product
of their own.
The Gabriel app, however, is not well known.
"Apple is very happy to use technology owned
by other parties and just wait to be sued once
they have pocketed the profits," one of
VirnetX's UK-based shareholders - who asked
not to be named -
Apple declined to comment.