PNC convinces US appeals court to overturn $218 mln USAA patent verdict
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said, opens new tab that the patents USAA had accused PNC of infringing were invalid.
The case is part of a series of patent lawsuits brought by USAA against other financial services providers over its technology. San Antonio-based USAA has settled similar disputes with banks including Wells Fargo and Truist and filed a related ongoing lawsuit against Regions Bank in January.
Spokespeople and an attorney for USAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Thursday decision. A PNC spokesperson said the bank appreciates that the court "recognized that USAA's patents should never have been issued."
USAA said in its 2020 lawsuit against PNC that its "Deposit@Home" technology was developed to allow military members overseas to deposit checks remotely. It had convinced a Texas jury in 2022 that PNC's mobile deposit feature worked in the same way as its patented technology and owed $218 million for violating its rights.
PNC told the Federal Circuit that the 2022 verdict could not stand because the patents were invalid. A three-judge panel agreed with PNC on Thursday, finding that the patents covered "the abstract idea of depositing a check using a mobile device" using "only routine and well-known steps."
The case is United Services Automobile Association v. PNC Bank NA, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No. 23-1778.
For USAA: Willy Jay of Goodwin Procter
For PNC: Mark Fleming of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr
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USAA wins $218 mln verdict from PNC in mobile-deposit tech trial
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