The two companies entered into a legal battle back in 2011 over a patent infringement case. Apple argued that Samsung had copied iPhone designs and now the form
A US court has finally asked Samsung to pay $539 million to Apple for copying patented iPhone designs after the two giants got entangled in a legal battle in 2011. According to a report in Fortune late Thursday, Samsung was found liable in the initial verdict in 2012 and was initially asked to pay over $1 billion to Apple but the amount was later reduced in further court hearings.
Under the US patent law, infringement of a design patent can result in a plaintiff receiving total profits made through the product.
Samsung’s lawyers appealed the case, bringing down the compensation of $1 billion to $400 million in 2015 at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This time, a jury in a northern California US district court in San Jose deliberated for five days to decide the fresh penalty in a case that alleged that Samsung’s Android handsets used design elements stolen from the iPhone maker.
« We’re grateful to the jury for their service and pleased they agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products, » Apple said in a statement. « This case has always been about more than money. Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple, » the statement said.
Samsung, however, was displeased with the verdict. « Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favour of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages, » Samsung said in its statement. « We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers, » reported The Registrar, quoting the statement from the South Korean giant.
Indo-Asian News Service
