Apple faces allegations of unlawfully acquiring confidential data to develop Apple Pay.
In a significant legal battle, Fintiv, a Texas-based company, has accused tech giant Apple of stealing its mobile wallet technology to create Apple Pay. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that Apple misappropriated CorFire's technology and trade secrets, following confidential meetings between the two companies in 2011 and 2012[1].
According to the complaint, Apple entered discussions under the pretense of forming a partnership and licensing CorFire's technology under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). However, it is claimed that Apple instead stole the technology, hired away key CorFire employees, and used the stolen innovations to develop Apple Pay, which launched in 2014[3][4][5].
The lawsuit accuses Apple Pay's core features, including secure element technology, Near Field Communication (NFC), and trusted service management, of being based on CorFire’s inventions. Additionally, Fintiv accuses Apple of racketeering and wire fraud under federal and Georgia state laws related to this conduct[3][4].
Apple has strongly denied all allegations, stating that courts have repeatedly rejected Fintiv's claims and that the lawsuit is an attempt to distract from a previously failed patent case. Apple disputes the claims about employee recruitment and maintains it launched Apple Pay independently over a decade ago and has continued innovating since[2].
As of late July 2025, there were unresolved discovery disputes ahead of an August 4 trial date, with the Federal Circuit court stepping in to order Apple to respond to Fintiv’s petition to halt the trial. Apple's response was due July 31, 2025. The legal battles have been ongoing for years, with prior lawsuits dismissed; however, Fintiv has revived its claims with this new filing[1][2].
The technology in question was developed by CorFire, which Fintiv bought in 2014. CorFire, based in Alpharetta, Georgia (an Atlanta suburb), was at the centre of the dispute[6]. Apple is the only defendant in the current lawsuit, and the dismissed patent infringement lawsuit against Apple was previously filed in Austin[7].
It is worth noting that Apple Pay is accused of generating fees for credit card issuers such as Bank of America, Capital One, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, and payment networks like American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[8]. The lawsuit in Atlanta federal court seeks compensatory and punitive damages for violations of federal and Georgia trade secrets and anti-racketeering laws, including RICO[9].
In summary:
- Fintiv has accused Apple of stealing mobile wallet technology from CorFire (Fintiv's predecessor) under the guise of partnership.
- The lawsuit alleges trade secret misappropriation, racketeering, wire fraud, and patent infringement.
- Key allegations include the theft of technical information, hiring key CorFire employees, and using the stolen tech in Apple Pay.
- Apple has denied all claims, stating that courts previously rejected Fintiv's cases and calling the allegations false and politically motivated.
- The legal status (mid-2025) shows ongoing discovery disputes, with a trial originally set for August 2025. The litigation is still active.
References:
- The Verge
- TechCrunch
- Bloomberg
- CNBC
- Reuters
- Business Insider
- Ars Technica
- Forbes
- Georgia Law
- Fintiv, in a legal dispute over financial markets, claims that Apple has illegally used credit and technology from CorFire, a Texas-based technology company, to develop Apple Pay, which is involved in business with various banks and payment networks.
- The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Georgia, asserts that Apple violated trade secrets, committed racketeering, and wire fraud, and seeks both compensatory and punitive damages under federal and Georgia state laws.
- The ongoing case has seen Apple repeatedly denying the allegations, stating that the courts have previously dismissed similar claims and labeling them as politically motivated. Apple maintains that it developed Apple Pay independently and continues to innovate in the field of technology and finance.
