A years-long struggle over the technology that Apple uses in iTunes, the App Store and Apple Music has a new development. On Friday, a federal jury in Texas declared that Apple did indeed infringe a patent for a digital rights management technology maintained by Personalized Media Communications. As a result, he ordered the tech giant to disburse about $ 308.5 million.
According Bloomberg, Personalized Media Communications sued Apple for infringing its patent on FairPlay, a digital rights management technology that is used to distribute encrypted content from iTunes, the App Store and Apple Music services, among other patents, among other patents.
As explained by Personalized Media Communications, a file that is encrypted with FairPlay, as a piece of media content or software application, is digitally encrypted and can only be decrypted by an authorized user device based on user-specific decryption information. or device.
The process dates back to 2015 and has undergone many twists and turns. Although Apple successfully challenged the case at the United States patent office, Reported by Reuters, an appeals court later reversed that decision. And last week, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap denied Apple’s request to declare the Personalized Media Communication patent invalid.
The jury trial and verdict are the latest developments, but they will not be the last.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said it was disappointed with the decision and would appeal.
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“Cases like this, brought in by companies that don’t manufacture or sell any products, stifle innovation and end up harming consumers,” Apple told Bloomberg.
A custom media communications specialist has set a price of $ 240 million for what Apple owed the company in royalties for the use of its technology. However, the jury ordered Apple to pay ongoing royalties, which is the price determined by sales of licensed products or processes.
Gizmodo contacted Apple to request comment on the case on Sunday, but received no response. We will make sure to update this blog if we do.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is not the only company struggling with Personalized Media Communications because of patents. The agency claims that YouTube won a patent trial against Personalized Media Communications last year over different patents. Meanwhile, the company also sued Netflix.