Texas Firm Hits Websites With HTTPS Patent Suits
Scores of big brands – from AT&T and Yahoo! to Netflix, GoPro and Macy’s – are being sued because their HTTPS websites allegedly infringe an encryption patent, reports The Register in an article written by Shaun Nichols.
Longview, Texas-based CryptoPeak Solutions bases its legal action on US Patent 6,202,150, which describes “auto-escrowable and auto-certifiable cryptosystems.”
CryptoPeak is suing owners of HTTPS websites that use elliptic curve cryptography, a common method for sites to encrypt their traffic.
“Starting in July, CryptoPeak began pursuing companies through the courts in the eastern district of Texas,” the article reports. “Just in the past week or so, the patent-holding biz filed infringement claims against AT&T, Priceline, Pinterest, Hyatt Hotels, Best Western, and Experia.”
