Semafone Limited (Semafone), the leading provider of data security and PCI DSS compliance solutions for call and contact centres, announced that it has filed a lawsuit against PCI Pal PLC and its wholly-owned subsidiary, PCI Pal (UK) Limited, in the United Kingdom High Court of Justice (Patents Court) for infringement of U.K. Patent No. GB 2473376 titled “Signal detection and blocking for voice processing equipment” (the UK Patent).
It also filed a lawsuit against PCI Pal (U.S.) Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina for infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,750,471, 9,858,573, 10,402,826 and 11,049,108 each titled “Signal detection and blocking for voice processing equipment” (the US Patents).
The Semafone patents at issue concern Semafone’s DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) masking technology which provides a secure method for processing cardholder payments by telephone in accordance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The lawsuits allege that PCI Pal’s “Agent Assist” secure card payment technology infringes the UK and US Patents. Semafone seeks damages and injunctive relief to prevent further sales and marketing of the “Agent Assist” product in violation of Semafone’s patent rights.
“Semafone has invested significant resources in its call and contact centre PCI DSS solutions that protect confidential cardholder data and in building an intellectual property portfolio around those solutions,” said Gary E. Barnett, CEO of Semafone. “The Company intends to diligently and vigorously protect its patent rights for the benefit of our investors, customers, partners and employees and prevent infringing use of our patented technologies by others. Semafone remains confident in the value of its patent portfolio.”
About Semafone
Semafone provides secure cloud, hybrid and on-premises solutions to contact centres and all businesses accepting payments. In a digital world that has transitioned to remote work environments, its award-winning payment solutions enable organizations to collect personal data securely across all channels – including the telephone, webchat, social media, email, SMS, QR codes and more. Through Semafone’s patented data capture methods, sensitive information such as payment card or bank details and personally identifiable information (PII), including social security numbers, are collected directly from the customer for processing. This data capture method prevents PII from entering the business and IT infrastructure, protecting against the risk of fraud and the associated reputational damage, ensuring compliance with industry regulations such as PCI DSS. Semafone’s suite of solutions creates a seamless, omnichannel experience that increases sales conversion rates and boosts customer loyalty, while simplifying compliance.
Founded in 2009, the company now supports customers in 26 countries on five continents. Semafone is vertically agnostic and its extensive customer base includes companies such as Amica Mutual Insurance, British Sky Broadcasting, BT Group, and Sutter Health.
Livingbridge is a major investor in Semafone.
As a recognized global leader in secure voice transactions, Semafone’s technology is integrated with over 30 Payment Service Providers. Semafone has achieved the leading security and payment certifications: ISO 27001:2013, UK Cyber Essentials certification, PA-DSS certification for its Cardprotect payment solution, PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider, registered Visa Level 1 Merchant Agent and Mastercard Site Data Protection (SDP) Compliant Registered Service Provider.
To learn more, visit www.semafone.com