Court backs Apple in Samsung patent trial
Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages after a jury found the company guilty of infringing several of Apple’s software and design patents.
A jury of seven men and two women delivered the verdict on August 24—just two days after deliberations began in San Jose, California.
While Apple’s infringement claims were upheld, Samsung’s $399 million counterclaim was rejected.
Samsung has since confirmed it will be appealing the decision, and Apple say they will be seeking an import ban on several Samsung products.
The US case is part of a complex patent war the companies are fighting in about 10 countries across four continents.
Only a day after Judge Lucy Koh handed over to the jurors, a court in South Korea ruled that the two companies have each infringed the other’s patents covering mobile devices.The court in Seoul imposed a limited ban on national sales of products such as Apple’s iPhone 4 and iPad, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Galaxy SI.
In the California court, Apple sought $2.5 billion in damages, claiming Samsung infringed seven of its patents covering features including the ‘rubber band’ scrolling effect and the general shape of the iPad. Apple also argued that Samsung had attempted to fool consumers by making its products look like Apple’s.
Samsung, accusing Apple of trying to stifle competition in the smartphone and tablet markets, said that the patents were either obvious, that it didn’t infringe them, or that there was already prior art including them. In its counterclaim, the Korean firm argued Apple breached five of Samsung’s patents, including the use of an app while listening to music in the background, the use of an email in a phone with a camera and the ability to bookmark a photograph in a camera-equipped phone’s image gallery.
Apple said the patents are either invalid or not infringed, and the jury rejected all of Samsung’s claims. Commenting on the verdict, an Apple spokesperson told press: “We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behaviour wilful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”
A statement released by Samsung said the company would “move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn the decision”, adding: “Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as loss for the American consumer. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly.”
In the week following the verdict, Samsung’s stock dropped 7.5 percent on the Korean Stock Exchange.
