Fintiv Sues Apple, Apple Denies Trade Secret Theft

Fintiv, a Texas-based digital payments company, has sued Apple in federal court in Georgia, alleging that Apple stole trade secrets and engaged in racketeering to build Apple Pay. Fintiv claims Apple accessed confidential mobile wallet technology from CorFire—acquired by Fintiv—during NDA-protected meetings in 2011-2012, then hired CorFire employees and incorporated proprietary features into Apple Pay. The lawsuit invokes both federal and state RICO statutes and seeks damages, alleging that Apple monetized Fintiv’s innovations through major banking partnerships. Apple has publicly denied the allegations, calling them a distraction from Fintiv's previously failed patent lawsuits, which courts dismissed citing technical differences between Fintiv’s patents and Apple Pay. Fintiv presents the dispute as part of a broader pattern of Apple’s alleged conduct against smaller tech companies. The case could have major implications for Apple’s mobile payment operations.