Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is facing a lawsuit over allegations that Touch ID infringes upon a South Korean mobile tech company’s patent, 9to5 Mac reported Thursday.
Jung Jae-lark, co-chief executive officer of FirstFace, registered patents in several countries, including South Korea, Japan and the US, for technology that allows users to verify their identities by placing their finger on a home button that would recognize their fingerprint.
A Korean Company is Considering a Patent Lawsuit against Apple over Touch ID https://t.co/4hkkSWJfUM pic.twitter.com/gOUsQDdJJV
— ionica's blog (@iSayRO) April 12, 2018
The company may be what is known as a patent troll, or a company that buys patents only to take legal action, according to a Business Korea report.
READ: Apple ordered to pay 'patent troll' VirnetX US$502.6mln
The report states that the company has also filed a lawsuit against Samsung Group.
A Texas court recently ordered Apple to pay US$502.6mln to VirnetX Holding Corp. (NYSEMKT:VHC), a company that has also been referred to in published reports as a patent troll, for patent infringement.