Irish firm sues PayPal over alleged misappropriation of its technology

Bray-based IPPL say US tech giant’s success is built on trade secrets that it shared in a 2002 meeting with the firm

IPPL said 'confidential' information about its business was shared at a meeting to discuss a potential partnership. Above, PayPal's HQ in San José, California. Photo: Getty Images

Sean Pollock

PayPal, one of the largest financial technology companies globally, is facing claims its online payments business was built on trade secrets “misappropriated” from an Irish firm.

In a complaint filed in a Texas court, Irish patent licensing company Internet Payments Patents Limited (IPPL) has sued PayPal, alleging its trade secrets, including the structure, function, and operation of its payment architecture, were “misappropriated and misused” by the online payments giant.