A nearly five-year-old design patent trial between Apple and Samsung has reached a new level, as the U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear Samsung's appeal of a lower court decision that ordered the South Korean electronics maker to pay a $548 million settlement to its Cupertino-based rival in December.
According to Reuters, Samsung plans to appeal what it believes are "excessive penalties" for allegedly "copying the patented designs of the iPhone," including the smartphone's rounded rectangular bezel and colorful grid of icons. The 2011 lawsuit targeted select Galaxy-branded smartphones and tablets.
Samsung has already paid the $548 million settlement to Apple, but it can obtain reimbursement if the U.S. Supreme Court reverses or modifies the original judgment. Apple had urged the high court to deny the appeal, accusing Samsung of raising issues that do not "deserve review" in an effort to prolong court proceedings.
The appeal will likely delay a damages retrial that was scheduled to begin later this month in the Northern District of California, according to FOSS Patents.
Top Rated Comments
[doublepost=1458598035][/doublepost]in case you haven't been keeping up with the trials, Apple lost ALL patents claims against Samsung in Germany. Apple was ordered to publicly apologize to Samsung and pay for Samsung lawyer's expenses after Apple defied the court order. Apple lost the second case they started and now has to pay for Samsung's legal fee.
[doublepost=1458598262][/doublepost]Well, there were two separate cases in the US. Samsung won the USITC case, but Obama reversed that ruling that would have banned Apple iPhones in the US.
Apple won the highly publicized district case, but the appeals court reversed "trade dress" part of the win. The design part of the victory is now going to be heard by the SCOTUS.
[doublepost=1458598351][/doublepost]why unexpected? The SCOTUS hears patents cases all the time or at least they hear more patent cases every year.
[doublepost=1458598462][/doublepost]Sure, Samsung copies (or inspired by) Apple, but Samsung is no more legally liable than Apple being liable for copying Xerox's ideas (or Samsung's).
[doublepost=1458598739][/doublepost]What's at issue here is Apple's use of an esoteric design patent law never applied to design cases involving multicomponent devices . There are at least 30+ law school professors and many US tech/non-tech companies who are very interested in the outcome of the case and don't want Apple's victory to stand.
You're ironically calling me out on intelligence based on hurt fanboy feelings alone.
Apparently you're smarter than everybody knowledgable on International Intellectual Properly laws and treaties.
Do explain why not a single non-american judge has come to the same conclusion you have oh intelligent one?
You can't have a monopoly on squares and icons. Who's the copy cat by the way? Everybody steals from everybody.
Apple's 'slide-to-unlock' pattern was blown away by European Judges. As well as it's patents on tablet and icon shapes.
This whole court battle is just smoke and mirrors. Designed to smeer Samsung's reputation.