14 DAY TRIAL // South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung must pay a total of $539 million in damages to Apple, according to a recent court ruling.
The Samsung versus Apple lawsuit was started seven years ago, and is currently at its third retrial, with Apple originally seeking no less than $1 billion in damages. Samsung, on the other hand, said it was willing to pay only $28 million for infringing on three patents.
Apple accused Samsung of copying five different patents, three of which covered iPhone design, while the other two protected different utilities that the South Korean firm eventually used without authorization. The three design patents are the following: US Patent No. D618,677, US Patent No. D593,087, and US Patent No. D604,305.
Samsung has to pay $533,316,606 for the three design patents and $5,325,050 for the other two, though there’s a good chance the decision will be appealed one more time.
Apple issued a statement to emphasize that this verdict is living proof Samsung used its patents without authorization and copied the design of the patent.
“We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. 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,” it said.
Samsung likely to appeal
Samsung, on the other hand, says it is already considering its options, which in plain English means that the company is expected to appeal the ruling in the near future.
“Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity.”
Samsung was originally required to pay $1.05 billion in damages to Apple back in 2012 following the first ruling in the lawsuit, but the extent of damages was reduced shortly after that due to what were described as miscalculations in the complaint. A court ruling indicated that Samsung sold no less than 15.3 million phones in 2010 and 2011, violating five iPhone design patents. Apple eventually won another trial with damages settled at $290 million, but Samsung once again appealed the decision.
The legal dispute between the two will most likely continue for a little bit longer, despite Apple winning every retrial involving these patents.