Apple wins patent trial against Samsung – awarded US$1bn in damages

25 Aug 2012

A pivotal patents trial in San Jose has seen Apple awarded over US$1bn in damages after a jury decided against Samsung over whether the Korean technology giant infringed on Apple’s patents in rolling out a range of Android-based smartphones and tablet computers.

The jury checked through a substantial list of smartphones and tablet devices that came on the heels of the Apple iPhone in 2007.

Working through a list of devices and arguments the nine-person jury decided largely in favour of Apple and found none of the Californian tech companies patents invalid.

Just a day earlier a South Korean court banned both iPhone and Samsung Galaxy products from shop shelves in that country.

Apple was awarded US1.049bn in damages while Samsung was awarded nothing.

Listing a long line of devices including the Samsung Captivate, Droid Charge, Fascinate, Epic 4G, Mesmerise, Gem, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Tab 10, Prevail, Vibrant and Galaxy SII, the jury decided that Samsung infringed on patents for 381 ‘bounce back’ scrolling as well as 164 ‘tap to zoom’.

The case was the latest, but considered the most pivotal, in a series of IP infringement cases between the two companies that spanned Europe, Asia, the US and Australia.

The jury’s decision will have serious implications for Apple’s legal battle over the alleged copying of iPhone and iPad technology against other manufacturers who rely on the Google Android ecosystem, namely HTC and Motorola.

In a statement following the jury’s decision Apple lauded the verdict and said that the cases between it and Samsung were about more than patents or money, they were about values.

“At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth,” the company stated.

Samsung said that the verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple but as a loss for the Amercian consumer. “It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation and potentially higher prices,” Samsung stated.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com