Samsung hit with patent lawsuit over Galaxy S biometrics tech

Encryption technology research firm PACid Technologies has filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics for allegedly infringing upon its biometric patents. The complaint was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court on April 6. In it, PACid claims Samsung has violated three of its patent, two of them filed in the United States and the third in South Korea. All three relate to data encryption.READ: Fingerprint sensors on phones: we still need them

The lawsuit alleges that Samsung Electronics infringed upon the three patents with its Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and Galaxy S8 smartphones, including the Edge variants. The company has also allegedly infringed the patents with its Samsung PASS and KNOX systems.

Furthermore, the infringing technology is said to involve all three varieties of biometric security these devices support: fingerprint, face, and iris. Legal documents publicly available show Samsung Electronics America having received a court summons on April 10. The company hasn't issued any statements about the legal action.

PACid doesn't seek a specific amount in damages; the legal document states:

As a result of Samsung's infringement of the '993 Patent, PACid has suffered monetary damages, and is entitled to an award of damages adequate to compensate it for such infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 284, but in no event, less than a reasonable royalty.

Some entities have previously accused PACid of being a patent troll, an allegation it references on its website, saying, "They call us names because they prefer to steal our ideas than pay for them." The case information is available via the legal website Justia here, but a PACER login is required.