USAA sues Wells Fargo over remote deposit capture patents

USAA has filed a federal lawsuit against Wells Fargo alleging patent infringement on its mobile remote deposit capture technology.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, is asking for unspecified damages from banking giant Wells Fargo.

Online military bank USAA holds around 50 patents connected to its technology that lets members deposit cheques by scanning them with mobile phones.

Last year, USAA began asking banks for licensing fees related to the patents. Wells has so far failed to license the technology, prompting the lawsuit, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

The complaint says "it is improper for Wells Fargo to use, without permission, patented technologies that USAA has spent immense resources to invent, develop, implement, and perfect".

In 2014 USAA settled a suit with mobile cheque imaging outfit Mitek Systems with no money changing hands.

Related Companies

Wells Fargo USAA

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Retail banking

Keywords

Cheque imaging Legal

Comments: (4)

Mark Sibthorpe - msba - Pointe-Claire 11 June, 2018, 16:13

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Seriously, patent tolls at work here.

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Ketharaman Swaminathan - GTM360 Marketing Solutions - Pune 11 June, 2018, 16:42

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50 patents for just Mobile RDC? Kudos to USAA for achieving that stunning feat!

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Mark Sibthorpe - msba - Pointe-Claire 11 June, 2018, 16:48

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Ketharaman, I am assuming your comment is toungue and cheek. This is like big banks filing blockchain patents. Patent trolls pure and simple.

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Ketharaman Swaminathan - GTM360 Marketing Solutions - Pune 11 June, 2018, 18:38

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@MarkSibthorpe: Not really. Patent is a patent is a patent. The fact that the patent office has granted it means the patent has merit. If it doesn't have merit, the patent office shouldn't grant the patent. Patent trolling relates to purpose of filing patent. Even if somebody files a patent only with the intent of trolling - and there's no evidence that USAA has done that in this instance - it doesn't take away the feat of getting the patent in the first place.