As the security industry digests the news that for the first time ever a merchant is taking a major card brand and its payment processor to court over PCI non-compliance fines, speculation has started to fly about the long-range impact the case could have on the PCI compliance ecosystem.

On its face, the $13 million complaint from Tennessee-based retailer Genesco against Visa seems like pretty standard business litigation. But according to some, the suit has the potential to disrupt PCI's influence in the merchant community.

"It really doesn't look on the first account to be a very big case, but it's the first retailer that kind of goes up against the establishment," says Torsten George, VP of worldwide marketing, products and support for Agiliance. "If the court would decide to reverse the penalties imposed on Genesco, it would really shake the foundation of the PCI Security Standards Council to its core."