Apple, Visa Win Invalidating Payment Patents Upheld on Appeal

The Federal Circuit upheld Apple Inc. and Visa Inc.‘s win over infringement allegations, agreeing the inventions on online payment technology are abstract.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware dismissed Universal Secure Registry LLC’s infringement suit against Apple and Visa after it found its four patents on securing electronic payment transactions ineligible under §101 of the Patent Act.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the dismissal in a precedential opinion.

“In cases involving authentication technology, patent eligibility often turns on whether the claims provide sufficient specificity to constitute an improvement to computer ...