A U.S. judge has ordered Apple to pay over $368 million to a company related to a FaceTime patent dispute.
Connecticut-based VirnetX said the FaceTime feature found in several Apple devices infringes on patents owned by the company. VirnetX had originally sought for $708 million in damages, but, pending an appeal from Apple, will have to settle for the amount awarded by the judge.
VirnetX operates as an internet security software and technology firm that has been granted patented technology for 4G LTE security. The court case is related to allegations that the FaceTime application violates four VirnetX patents registered between 2002 and 2011.
Although Apple won't be hurt too much with the fine, VirnetX's court case win could back up a claim filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that may potentially lead to a sales ban of Apple's more popular products.
The company said Apple should have paid license fees for its technologies, which consists of a method of creating a secure communication link between different types of system via Tunneled Agile Routing Protocol (TARP).
Speaking after the verdict, VirnetX CEO Kendal Larsen said the firm's win "further establishes the importance of our patent portfolio." A lawyer for the company added that it would file an order seeking to block "further use of its inventions."
VirnetX has also won a similar patent lawsuit against Microsoft, resulting in a payment of $200 million in 2010. It has also taken Cisco, Siemens and other technology firms to court over its patents.