![]() Given the similarities in design and functionality of almost all chat apps, it is plausible that it could be used for litigation against many other messaging services. The patent in question is incredibly vague. The real story here is not about Viber, but the potential implications of the patent on other messaging apps. There’s not been an official announcement that Viber is blocked, although SK Telecom told Korea Herald that its iOS and Android apps would be outlawed in the country. The immediate implication of the ruling is not clear. Representatives from SK Telecom did not respond to our requests for comment. Viber CEO Talmon Marcus told TechCrunch that the company is “currently studying the matter” before it releases a longer statement. Initially, the operator pursued four patents, however three were dismissed during the court’s investigation. SK Telecom sued Viber, which was bought by Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten for $900 million last year, back in November. Korea Herald reports that a court ruled in favor of SK Telecom’s claim that Viber’s “feature of reorganizing selected information from contact numbers saved in a smartphone into the application” violated a 2006-registered patent from the operator. Free calling and messaging service Viber could be banned in South Korea, after the company lost a patent suit to domestic operator SK Telecom. ![]()
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