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Samsung ordered to pay Apple US$1.05b in patent case
Source: Agencies |
August 25, 2012, Saturday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
AFTER a year of scorched-earth litigation, a jury decided yesterday that Samsung ripped off the innovative technology used by Apple to create its revolutionary iPhone and iPad.
The jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple US$1.05 billion in the latest skirmish of a global legal battle between the two tech giants. An appeal is expected.
Apple Inc. filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged legions of the country's highest-paid patent lawyers to demand US$2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking US$399 million.
The verdict, however, belonged to Apple, as the jury rejected all Samsung's claims against Apple. Jurors also decided against some of Apple's claims involving the two dozen Samsung devices at issue, declining to award the full US$2.5 billion Apple demanded.
However, the jury found that several Samsung products illegally used such Apple creations as the "bounce-back" feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the ability to zoom text with a tap of a finger.
As part of its lawsuit, Apple also demanded that Samsung pull its most popular cellphones and computer tablets from the US market. A judge was expected to make that ruling at a later time.
The outcome of the case is likely to have ripple effects in the smartphone market. After seeing Samsung's legal defeat, other device makers relying on Android may become more reluctant to use the software and risk getting dragged into court.
"Some of these device makers might end up saying, 'We love Android, but we really don't want to fight with Apple anymore," said Christopher Marlett, CEO of MDB Capital Group, an investment bank specializing in intellectual property.
ISI Group analyst also viewed the verdict as a blow to Android, as much as Samsung.
After the verdicts were read, the jury deliberated further at the judge's direction on two inconsistencies involving about US$2.5 million in damages awarded to Apple based on products jurors found didn't infringe Apple's patents. The jury decided against awarding the US$2.5 million.
During closing arguments at the trial, Apple attorney Harold McElhinny claimed Samsung was having a "crisis of design" after the 2007 launch of the iPhone, and executives with the South Korean company were determined to illegally cash in on the success of the revolutionary device.
Samsung's lawyers countered that it was simply and legally giving consumers what they want: smartphones with big screens. They said Samsung didn't violate any of Apple's patents and further alleged innovations claimed by Apple were actually created by other companies.
Samsung responded to the verdict in a statement issued from its Seoul headquarters, saying it was "unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly."
"Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," Samsung said.
The jurors' determination that Samsung ripped off Apple's ideas probably matters more to both companies than the damages figures, Marlett said.
"I don't know if US$1 billion is hugely significant to Apple or Samsung," Marlett said. "But there is a social cost here. As a company, you don't want to be known as someone who steals from someone else. I am sure Samsung wants to be known as an innovator, especially since a lot of Asian companies have become known for copying the designs of innovators. This has really been a battle about the innovators versus the copiers, and Apple has won."
Samsung has emerged as one of Apple's biggest rivals and has overtaken Apple as the leading smartphone maker. Samsung's Galaxy line of phones run on Android, a mobile operating system that Google Inc. has given out for free to Samsung and other phone makers.
Samsung conceded that Apple makes great products but said it doesn't have a monopoly on the design of rectangular phones with rounded corners that it claimed it created.
The jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple US$1.05 billion in the latest skirmish of a global legal battle between the two tech giants. An appeal is expected.
Apple Inc. filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged legions of the country's highest-paid patent lawyers to demand US$2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking US$399 million.
The verdict, however, belonged to Apple, as the jury rejected all Samsung's claims against Apple. Jurors also decided against some of Apple's claims involving the two dozen Samsung devices at issue, declining to award the full US$2.5 billion Apple demanded.
However, the jury found that several Samsung products illegally used such Apple creations as the "bounce-back" feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the ability to zoom text with a tap of a finger.
As part of its lawsuit, Apple also demanded that Samsung pull its most popular cellphones and computer tablets from the US market. A judge was expected to make that ruling at a later time.
The outcome of the case is likely to have ripple effects in the smartphone market. After seeing Samsung's legal defeat, other device makers relying on Android may become more reluctant to use the software and risk getting dragged into court.
"Some of these device makers might end up saying, 'We love Android, but we really don't want to fight with Apple anymore," said Christopher Marlett, CEO of MDB Capital Group, an investment bank specializing in intellectual property.
ISI Group analyst also viewed the verdict as a blow to Android, as much as Samsung.
After the verdicts were read, the jury deliberated further at the judge's direction on two inconsistencies involving about US$2.5 million in damages awarded to Apple based on products jurors found didn't infringe Apple's patents. The jury decided against awarding the US$2.5 million.
During closing arguments at the trial, Apple attorney Harold McElhinny claimed Samsung was having a "crisis of design" after the 2007 launch of the iPhone, and executives with the South Korean company were determined to illegally cash in on the success of the revolutionary device.
Samsung's lawyers countered that it was simply and legally giving consumers what they want: smartphones with big screens. They said Samsung didn't violate any of Apple's patents and further alleged innovations claimed by Apple were actually created by other companies.
Samsung responded to the verdict in a statement issued from its Seoul headquarters, saying it was "unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly."
"Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," Samsung said.
The jurors' determination that Samsung ripped off Apple's ideas probably matters more to both companies than the damages figures, Marlett said.
"I don't know if US$1 billion is hugely significant to Apple or Samsung," Marlett said. "But there is a social cost here. As a company, you don't want to be known as someone who steals from someone else. I am sure Samsung wants to be known as an innovator, especially since a lot of Asian companies have become known for copying the designs of innovators. This has really been a battle about the innovators versus the copiers, and Apple has won."
Samsung has emerged as one of Apple's biggest rivals and has overtaken Apple as the leading smartphone maker. Samsung's Galaxy line of phones run on Android, a mobile operating system that Google Inc. has given out for free to Samsung and other phone makers.
Samsung conceded that Apple makes great products but said it doesn't have a monopoly on the design of rectangular phones with rounded corners that it claimed it created.
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