14 DAY TRIAL // After hearing both sides’ stories in a trial that went on for weeks, the jury selected to assess the wrongdoing of Samsung and Apple in a full-fledged patent war has finally reached a verdict.
The jury deliberated for no less than 21 hours and 37 minutes, and found Samsung guilty of more accounts that its legal team has fingers to count.
The trial awarded Apple $1.05 billion / €800M in damages after Samsung was found to have infringed five of seven claimed Apple patents, wilfully.
In a statement provided to the NYTimes, Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton said the verdict reflected Apple’s values of innovation.
“We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it,” said Cotton.
“The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values.”
Cotton added, “At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”
After the trial was over and the verdict was in, Samsung defended itself blaming the court system for its massive defeat, hinting at an upcoming appeal.
“Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer,” said a spokesperson for the Korea-based maker of the Galaxy-series of phones and tablets.
Samsung said it believes this decision “will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices,” adding that “patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners,” calling the situation “unfortunate.”
Samsung stresses that consumers will have their right to choice hindered, noting that “they [the customers] know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products.”
The maker of several components for Apple products suggested it will fight back.
“This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer,” Samsung said.