In San Jose, California a federal court case related to Apple vs. Samsung has finally come to a decision. According to Bloomberg, the Apple Inc. company has won over two hundred ninety billion dollars in patent infringement from its competitor Samsung Electronics Co. In 2012 the amount won was cut by United States District Judge Lucy Koh, but after a week-long trial a jury consisting of six women and two men decided to award Apple the full amount.
An analyst with Yankee Group, Carl Howe, commented, “Samsung may consider patent infringement simply a cost of doing business — fair enough. However, I think the costs in public perception will end up being higher, and will force Samsung to do things differently in the future.” Being “the world’s top two smartphone makers” have cost both companies “hundreds of millions” of dollars for the constant legal action taken based on copyright infringement. Only one of them can be the best and they’re both determined to dominate the global marketplace.
Samsung now owes Apple Inc. $930.00 in patent damages. However, it is not only about money for APPL. Kristin Hugnuet, a spokesperson for Apple said, “This case has always been about more than patents and money. It has been about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love. While it’s impossible to put a price tag on those values, we are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost.” Samsung spokesperson, Lauren Restuccia commented that the recent verdict “is based in large part on a patent that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has recently deemed invalid.” Restuccia continued with, “While we move forward with our post-trial motions and appeals, we will continue to innovate with groundbreaking technologies and great products that are loved by our many customers all around the world.”
The recent verdict is only the conclusion to the first of many upcoming patent-infringement trials between both companies. In March a trial will begin involving the technology used in the newer smartphones including the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S III.
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