The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a California federal judge’s decision to dismiss a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple Inc., affirming that the company’s iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches do not infringe upon two cellular security patents held by R.N. Nehushtan Trust Ltd. (RNN). The ruling, issued on January 14, 2026, reinforces the lower court’s interpretation of the patents in question.
RNN’s patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 9,642,002 and 9,635,544, pertain to enhancements in cellular device security, specifically focusing on restricting access to a device’s data mode through a device unique security setting (DUSS). RNN alleged that Apple’s implementation of DUSS validation during certain device updates and downloads infringed upon these patents.
The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Apple, concluding that the patents necessitated the DUSS to be sufficient to unlock data mode—a requirement not met by the features in Apple’s products. RNN appealed this decision, but the Federal Circuit concurred with the lower court’s interpretation, leading to the dismissal of the case. ([fedcircuitblog.com](https://fedcircuitblog.com/2026/01/14/opinions-orders-january-14-2026/?utm_source=openai))
This decision is part of a series of legal victories for Apple in patent litigation. In February 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear VirnetX’s appeal to reinstate a $502.8 million jury verdict against Apple concerning internet-security patents, effectively ending a 14-year legal battle. ([cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/20/us-supreme-court-wont-review-apples-win-against-503-million-patent-verdict-.html?utm_source=openai))
Similarly, in June 2025, the Federal Circuit overturned a $300 million damages award against Apple in a dispute with Optis Cellular Technology LLC over LTE patents. The court found that the district court’s approach violated Apple’s right to jury unanimity on each legal claim, necessitating a new trial. ([clearygottlieb.com](https://www.clearygottlieb.com/-/media/files/alert-memos-2025/federal-circuit-vacates-infringement-verdict-and-300m-damages-award.pdf?utm_source=openai))
These outcomes underscore the challenges patent holders face in asserting claims against major technology companies and highlight the importance of precise claim construction and the demonstration of infringement in patent litigation.