Apple has just been ordered to pay $439.7 million for infringing on four patented technologies supposedly used in the company’s FaceTime and other iOS apps. The case itself is now five years old, but Apple has no intention of backing down just yet.

The firm holding the patents in question, VirnetX, first filed the suit in 2010, eventually being awarded $368 million two years later. The firm then sued a second time in 2012, for which the decision was just announced and Apple says it’s appealing against it. At the time, Apple lost the case and filed for a mistrial. It then got a new trial, lost that and was ordered to pay $300 million, lost another retrial and now the amount has gone up. Apple was found guilty of willful infringement, so it’s being forced to pay $1.80 for every iPhone, iPad and Mac sold.

Apart from revealing that it is appealing against the decision, Apple hasn't said much on the issue. Of course, if you’re wondering why Apple won’t just settle for the amount, seeing as its revenues are so large it can afford it, there’s much more at stake here. VirnetX is what’s known in the tech industry as a patent troll, a company that only makes money by licensing patents and then suing companies that use it. Not only is it a matter of principle now for Apple, it’s also a matter of precedent. If Apple kowtows to one patent troll and pays out money, more will come out of the woodwork to demand their price.

In the years the case has been going on, the US Patent and Trademark Office has invalidated all four of the patents VirnetX is suing Apple over. However, the company can appeal that decision and keep the entire case in uncertainty. So, until the courts make their final decision on any and all appeals in the case, Apple is still on the chopping block, even if the patents don’t exist anymore.