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Samsung officially takes the Apple Patent case to the Supreme Court
Today Samsung filed a 219-page appeal requesting that the Supreme Court rule on the legitimacy of Apple’s patent infringement case. Samsung already paid a settlement amount, but they are still disputing the ruling, which initially awarded Apple $930 million in damages. Although the Korean company whittled this amount down considerably in later court dates before paying $548 million earlier this month, they believe that the ruling sets a precedent that discourages innovation and competition while at the same time encouraging frivolous patent litigation.
The two juries in the original case were presented with evidence that Samsung had infringed on Apple’s patented technology. These technologies include things like swipe gestures and tap to zoom capabilities. Samsung claims that the juries were not given enough information to understand the nuances of the case, and that the judge instructed them to make their decision based on the general similarity of appearance between Apple and Samsung’s products.
The company released the following statement:
“Samsung is escalating this case because it believes that the way the laws were interpreted is not in line with modern times. If the current legal precedent stands, it could diminish innovation, stifle competition, pave the way for design patent troll litigation and negatively impact the economy and consumers.”
In addition to disputing the way in which the case was decided, Samsung is also claiming that the way design patent damages are calculated in general is flawed. They describe a situation in which current design patent rules are applied to a hypothetical case in a way that would see the infringing company paying out several times the total value of its profits.
Samsung and Apple have agreed to set aside all court cases related to this issue outside of the United States, so however matters are settled here will have lasting and worldwide effect. It looks like this is World 8 Mario Brothers for the patent case that has spanned four continents, lasted four years, and which has already cost Samsung over a half a billion dollars. If the US Supreme Court takes on the case, it will be the first design patent reviewed at this level in over 120 years.
What are your thoughts regarding the continuing saga of Apple vs. Samsung? Who is in the right here? Let us know in the comments!