Apple and Samsung Return to Court over Patent Infringement

[Vunderkind]

The Clash of the Titans continues...​

Samsung was found guilty in August 2012 of infringing six Apple patents, and Apple was awarded a record-breaking compensation.

The $1bn payout awarded Apple was in all sense of the word, a victory for the iPhone company. This is just one of the many court battles the two companies have been engaged in for a while now.

By March 2013, a judge looked into the $1bn awarded and reduced the amount, stating that the amount would need to be re-assessed in a new hearing. According to Judge Lucy Koh, the original jury in the Californian court had incorrectly calculated part of the damages.

According to her, $550 million of the whole sum was well calculated, while the remaining $450 needed to be reassessed, and she ordered for its reassessment.

Depending on the results of the reassessment, the figure could either be increased or decreased. This means that Apple stands to get more or less than the original $1bn awarded.

Apple had initially sought $2.5 billion in damages from Samsung.

Apple’s Accusation

According to Apple, the South Korean company, Samsung had copied its smartphone design from the designs of the iPhone and the iPad and some of its unique user-interface elements. Samsung, however, argued that it had already begun working on its rectangular handsets (with a screen and a single button) several months before the iPhone was showcased.

Samsung sought $519 in damages from Apple.

Apple wanted a sales ban on Samsung Products

When the first ruling was given, Samsung said the ruling was bad, especially for consumers, as it would “lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices".

Apple, on the other hand, praised the court "for finding Samsung's behavior willful and for sending a loud clear message that stealing isn't right".

Apple had initially asked that a sales ban be imposed on Samsung’s products which had been found to violate the patent laws, but the judge ruled against that, saying that Apple could be financially compensated instead.

"Between these types of big players a $1bn damages award is not as bad as a sales ban," Florian Mueller, an intellectual property consultant told the BBC.