A years-long struggle for the technology Apple uses in iTunes, the App Store, and Apple Music has a new development. On Friday, a Texas federal jury ruled that Apple had infringed the patent for a Personalized Media Communications digital rights management technology. As a result, he ordered the tech giant to earn approximately $ 308.5 million.
In accordance with Bloomberg, Personalized Media Communications sued Apple for infringing its patent on FairPlay, a digital rights management technology used to distribute encrypted content from Apple’s iTunes, App Store and Apple Music services, among other patents, among other patents .
As Personalized Media Communications explains, a file encrypted with FairPlay, such as a piece of multimedia content or a software application, is digitally encrypted and can only be decrypted by an authorized user device based on specific decryption information. user or device. .
Demand dates back to 2015 and has undergone many changes. Although Apple successfully challenged the case in the U.S. Patent Office, Reuters reported, an appeals court later reversed that decision. And just last week, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap rejected Apple’s request to declare the Personalized Media Communication patent invalid.
The jury’s 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 ruling and would appeal it.
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“Cases like this, brought on by companies that don’t manufacture or sell any products, drown out innovation and ultimately harm consumers,” Apple told Bloomberg.
An expert in Personal Media Communications had set a price of $ 240 million for what Apple owed the company in usage rights for its technology. However, the jury ordered Apple to pay a current fee, which is the price determined by sales of licensed products or processes.
Gizmodo turned to Apple for comments on the case on Sunday, but learned nothing. We will make sure to update this blog if we do.
According to Bloomberg, Apple isn’t the only company struggling with patented custom media communications. The media claims that YouTube won a patent lawsuit against Personalized Media Communications last year for various patents. Meanwhile, the company has also sued Netflix.