The Results of The Samsung and Apple Patent Lawsuit

After being parts of a legal dispute dating all the way back to 2011, Samsung have been asked to pay a total of $539 million to Apple due to patent fraud. Apple initially sued Samsung for indefinitely copying their patented iPhone designs. Samsung had finally been found at fault back in 2012 and were asked to cough up a staggering $1 billion to Apple.

However, continuing court hearings have drastically reduced that amount to the delight of Samsung.  Under the US laws jurisdiction a plaintiff is able to receive the whole and total profits the product has made in more straightforward cases, so it’s clear that Samsung were in for a hard hit.

What Happened?

After the $1 billion dollar lawsuit, Samsung’s lawyers came thick and fast to back their corner. They eventually bartered the price back down to $400 million from $1 billion in the year 2015. This was done at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, however, Apple were left feeling completely unsatisfied by the result and felt that true justice was not served.

In the latest of their legal battles, the jury of North California’s US District Court in San Jose, were asked to take in the evidence and deliberate for up to five days to agree upon a new penalty for Samsung. They found Samsung guilty of using specific design elements that Apple created from their iPhone maker.

In a statement about the verdict Apple were very pleased, announcing “We’re grateful to the jury for their service and pleased they agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products… 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,”.

A patent law professor from the University of Oklahoma expressed the fact that the jury’s verdict seemed to be a watered down compromise with both Apple and Samsung. Professor Burstein found that it never offered precise clarity on the situation and never gave Apple full closure. He stresses that he won’t be surprised if Samsung once again appeal the verdict as nothing seems to be set in stone with the two tech giants.

What Will Happen Next?

It is widely known that Samsung feel cheated and unhappy with the verdict and it may be a long while until we see certainty from these lawsuits. That fact in its own may see numerous counter suits being filed so both of the tech companies are looking to tread carefully moving forward as they haven’t made much progress in the 7 years of court they’ve already seen together.