NFC Times Exclusive: Chip supplier Inside Secure plans to support Mifare Classic on its new embedded secure element for NFC phones and contends it does not need a license from Mifare owner NXP Semiconductors because the technology is in the public domain. A representative of NXP warned against the move.
In comments to NFC Times, France-based Inside confirmed it would support Mifare Classic, which remains the most-used contactless technology globally despite security flaws. Inside says Mifare Classic is in demand from at least one large NFC device maker, Samsung Electronics.
“We know of no IP (intellectual property rights) related to Mifare Classic,” Bernard Vian, executive vice president for Inside’s secure payment division, told NFC Times. “We have not been able to see any.”