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Samsung wants to further reduce trial-awarded damages to Apple

Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. was originally heard in 2012, but the damages involved are still in limbo to this day and will now continue on.
By
June 22, 2015
samsung galaxy s6 vs apple iphone 6 aa (20 of 29)

Just a few years ago (2012 to be exact), 23 of Samsung’s Galaxy products were the topic of much contention in the intellectual property realm, with Apple having sued the Korean conglomerate on numerous counts of patent infringement and using them to deceive consumers into purchasing a Galaxy product. Another lawsuit, litigated in 2014, would be brought later for things like software design patents, however it is the original Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. that people usually think of. Thanks to a new motion by Samsung however, the seemingly unending trial might be entering yet another phase.

As reported by The San Jose Mercury News, this past Wednesday (June 17th) saw Samsung asking a federal appeals court to reconsider part of the $548 million in damages it has been ordered to pay Apple. Specifically, the Galaxy-maker is unhappy with the conclusion a three-judge panel at the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reached last month, and has asked for a retrial with all twelve judges present. Given the perceived error is to-the-tune of nearly $400 million, it would be a major victory for Samsung should the results be turned in its favor.

The court filing points out that, “unlike rugs, spoons, and simple mechanical objects, smartphones incorporate hundreds or thousands of different patented technologies, and it is undisputed here that Apple’s design patents claim only partial, minor features of such devices.” While the courts have already deleted almost $370 million of the original ruling having deemed several of Apple’s claims such as product shape infringement, Samsung clearly wants more (if not all) of the damages removed.

The tech world at-large was focused on this trial of the titans, as it revealed a treasure trove of insight into both companies. Product concepts, design evolution, and other key matter of R&D that never make their way to the public’s eye were highlights of the trial, including the clear admiration Apple had for Sony.
Jony Sony iPhone concept
Concept renders like this “Jony” iPhone were made public during the various Apple vs Samsung trials.
Even with the trial itself having concluded, the battle lives on, much as skeptics had assumed at the time: the damages have yet to be finalized, both sides continue to appeal rulings, and meanwhile the actual products involved have become archaic relics of a time that, while surprisingly recent, could not feel more ancient.
The trial, along with the second battle last year, was largely perceived by the Android community enthusiasts as a way of using Samsung as a venue by which it could indirectly attack Google. It is perhaps with a touch of irony that Apple has been appropriating key elements from Android over the past few years, and with its 2015 WWDC, even “borrowing” key mobile OS innovations that Samsung had long championed, namely multi-pane multitasking.