Jury orders Samsung to pay Apple more than $1 bil in U.S. patent case

Justice!

Nice!

Yes! Finally justice for Steve Jobs !!! ........................................................................................................ Samsung infringed on some of Apple Inc.’s patents ......................................... Samsung's legal battle - because of its patent violations with US Apple Inc - is just ONE of many others it had in Australia,UK and Germany. .......................The moneys Samsung has spend on litiation and subsequent penalties coould have been better used in R & D.

it is good for Apple and copyright in general.... bad for consumers though. Samsung could have pushed early for a licensing agreement - Unlikely that Apple will bend over for that now. One wonders How the Korean courts might rule? Or Europe for that matter

".....To overcome that challenge at trial, Samsung's lawyers argued that many of Apple's claims of innovation were either obvious concepts or ideas stolen from Sony Corp. and others...."

Irrelevant but worthy of note.

Great! it has been a norm for korean companies and the chinese too, to copy foreign brands and renaming it so they can get a slot in the market. samsung was succesful to do this kind of business model, but at the end they know it will cost them something.

Awarded 1billion dollars , why not awarded 1 dollar, the verdict would still be the same. Samsung is one of Apples biggest suppliers,so its just one big money merry go round. Plus party time for the legal representatives.

It took apple 4 years to come up with the iphone and Samsung 6 months. On the other hand, was Samsung supposed to close their eyes to everything on the iphone. Its like Play Station suing Xbox because they are similar.

minello7Aug. 25, 2012 - 10:26AM JST

Awarded 1billion dollars , why not awarded 1 dollar, the verdict would still be the same. Samsung is one of Apples biggest suppliers,so its just one big money merry go round.

Apple already switched vendors a long time ago, giving chinese companies samsung's chip specifications to produce cheaper knockoffs.

sounds good news. But this verdict also affect other Android devices. I hope that makers which create Android phones now move to Windows Phone.

Just another verdict to go onto Samsung's long list of convictions. They clearly do not care about the monetary penalty, all they will care about is the loss of face.

SAMSUNG = SHAME SHAME SHAME - AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN.

The next step for Apple is to get an injunction against Samsung. Samsung will either negotiate a licensing deal or be locked out of the US market.

"Justice!"

"Yes!** Finally justice for Steve Jobs !!! "

Well, not quite.This isn't over by a long shot. In fact, it's just the beginning of many trials over many years.

basroil-http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-invest-4-billion-u-plant-more-mobile-065650489--finance.html looks as if samsung is still a major supplier

The bitter taste of plagiarism...

It is a win-win situation: now Samsung will be forced to create (not copy) intelligent designs, and consumers who love Samsung will be happy to have a product that is not seeing as copycat. Samsung had it coming, anyway, even Google warned the Korean pirates that their smartphones were too similar to iPhones and iPads, and they continued to copy designs and apps. The dumbest kind of losers.

My galaxy nexus is nothing like a iphone. It's rectangular and has a touch screen, that's about it, It's much better in every other aspect. If anything they didnt just "copy" (even if they did) they improved on what they saw.

My galaxy nexus is nothing like a iphone.

Yeah that's because Google designed it.

Thomas AndersonAug. 25, 2012 - 12:55PM JST

My galaxy nexus is nothing like a iphone.

Yeah that's because Google designed it.

He was referring to the fact the jury declared it IS. You can see from their photos that the only similarities are that they look like smartphones and they have touch screens. Hell, the Nexus S doesn't even have bounceback, it has bounce fade, which while looking similar, is like saying that oolong tea and flat beer are the same because they look mostly the same from 20 feet back.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57500273-37/apple-v-samsung-the-infringing-device-scorecard/

What Samsung said.

Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

lol so apple pays 40000 to a korean company to turn around and make a bil

Amazing how a quote can look so damning out of context:

To overcome that challenge at trial, Samsung's lawyers argued that many of Apple's claims of innovation were either obvious concepts or ideas stolen from Sony Corp. and others

An Apple designer was asked to submit a design that he thought the iPhone would look like IF SONY had designed it. He put the SONY logo on it.

Samsung tried to use this to show that Apple had stolen a design from SONY.

Apple hadn't stolen a SONY design at all!

Samsung's lawyers tried to argue this, but failed, because it wasn't a SONY design.

flammenwerfer-san,

One thing that this trial established very well is that consumer DON'T WANT choices. They want iPhones. The point was that the Samsung phones were not new and original designs, they were iPhone rip offs.

For a short term, it is the victory for Apple. But for a long run, a great tragedy for Apple. Apple is like Steve Job who was not an IT engineer. He was a good designer. Without continuous innovation in technology, Apple will remain as an apple. It looks good tastes good but will get rotten.

Samsung and other Korean companies have been copying foreign brands for decades, especially Japanese ones. I'm glad the jury favored Apple in this case.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah2i-H_hHQ0

What a disaster. If Ford had patented "rectangular box with four wheels," we'd all be driving Fords now (and they'd all probably come only in black).

Can someone tell me whether Samsung violated any specific patents, or did they just choose what is obviously the optimum design for a pocket-sized device, rectangular with rounded corners?

Turns out my brother-in-law was on the jury. He emailed me about it this morning; haven't talked with him yet as I don't want to create turbulence in the family.

I don't like Apple. They are too into control. Now they are trying to control who can use which geometry. If they are allowed to turn basic concepts into proprietary property, we all lose.

I don't like Apple. They are too into control. Now they are trying to control who can use which geometry. If they are allowed to turn basic concepts into proprietary property, we all lose.

Too bad you were not on the jury.

I'm very,very,very happy with this decision. For many years samsung plagiarized Japanese lcd manufacturers and nothing had happened.Congratulations to the jury!

. For many years samsung plagiarized Japanese lcd manufacturers and nothing had happened.

Sure ask Sony who uses Samsung based technology for their lcd screens.

It's a great victory for Apple though. they sure know how to play the people/sheep!

dear samsung and chinese companies and all other copycats: there's nothing wrong with copying, all you have to do is to acknowledge the true innovators, and then maybe pay them some percent.

dear apple: congrats. but know that your greed is disgustingly limitless. your control over the rights of people that buy your products reminds me of v-for-vendetta. android copied some of your stuff, but now android is better, more freedom, less absolute control.

To Dutchduck - Sure ask Sony who uses Samsung based technology for their lcd screens. It's a great victory for Apple though. they sure know how to play the people/sheep!

Long before sony buy panels from Samsung, other Japanese companies like NEC and fujitsu, hitachi developed this technology, this is what I said

This is a great decision, and a message to all of the other copycats out there. It's far from over, as I'm sure there will be appeals, but this is still a great victory. Here's a quick breakdown of the Jury's decisions from the NY Times: SOFTWARE Bounce-back effect when a user tries to scroll beyond the end of a list or image - Guilty Scrolling; pinching and zooming - Guilty Tap-to-zoom and center - Guilty DESIGN iPhone’s face, screen and speaker slot - Guilty Shape of the iPhone’s face, rounded corners and bezel - Guilty Icon arrangement on the home screen - Guilty Tablet design, including the rectangular shape and rounded edges of the iPad - Not Guilty

@ avenger "It took apple 4 years to come up with the iphone and Samsung 6 months. On the other hand, was Samsung supposed to close their eyes to everything on the iphone. Its like Play Station suing Xbox because they are similar."

That PS to XBOX comparison is stupid. One is black and rectangular, the other is grey and square (hence BOX) with a giant X as part of its design. Now even if you are talking about the 360 x PS3, one curves IN the other curves OUT, not to mention the materials are clearly different. The only thing that makes them similar is the color black.

It's clear that Samsung not only idolized the iPhone, but after seeing Apples success, decided to blatantly copy it because then they TOO would make money. Just look at their own designs before, and now. You know there are other ways to design a phone right? Flip phone, sliders, keyboards, etc. Look at how Windows innovated, and what Blackberry is doing.

This was a fair decision, even Google told them not to copy.

lol this is a "great victory" for the Japanese people.. lol.. I guess when you've been flattened by Samsung for so long, this would be a great victory for Japan. The jealousy shows, guys. And explaining the Koreans as nothing but 'copy cats' may make you feel better, but it doesn't change the fact one company is 1000 times more profitable than the entire electronics industry of Japan. $1 billion damage? pfffftttt.... it's pocket change for Samsung. And lol at the person who said Apple switched to Chinese suppliers. Samsung supplies Apple with $9billion worth of supplies this year, from $6 billion last year - even after Apple tried so hard to find other suppliers. And the dependence will only grow bigger because no-body has the manufacturing and engineering capacity to allow Apple to make that many iPhone's. But I guess dismissing your competitors makes you feel good... lol...

If this stands, Microsoft should also have to pay Apple for using GUI a beginning in 1986 until today. Protection for virtual "property" is crazy folks.

If Ford cars worked this way, we'd all be driving only Fords still. Every other maker would have been sued out of existence for using 4 wheels and 3 peddles.

With Disney and trademark abuse, they've effectively wrapped up all copy-write media perpetually as well.

The pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction protecting first ideas over unusual ideas. The bar is pretty low for protection when it used to be that anything a skilled person in the trade would create was not enough for protection. Many of Apple's "inventions" were obvious and didn't deserve protection.

The same statement applies to Motorola, Samsung, SONY, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM Apple and about 20,000 other companies.

good decision.

if samsung wants to compete in that market, they have to earn it.

without google's android they wouldn't have been able to steal the iphone designs and technology.

they totally suck!

i wonder though, were either of the two software patents part of android? or were they simply ripped off separately by samsung and grafted onto android?

Sony did you say? They're already in patent violation of Apple, haven't you heard? Not to mention the Android based Xperia, Apple has patented the thin ultra notebook, and it's only matter of time Apple comes after all the ultra thin notebook makers like the Sony Vaio (yes even though Sony ultrabook came first, but Apple is the first one to patent it, too bad..lol).

http://www.dailytech.com/Virtually+Every+Ultrabook+Appears+to+Violate+New+Apple+Patent/article24886.htm

This isn't Justice. This is Apple using courts to kill competition.

Go see images of devices that were judged as "infringing" on Apple's patents. One of them is the Samsung Replenish... a QWERTY phone that looks more like the Blackberry Bold than anything else!

Now no smartphone using a capacitive touchscreen is safe from Apple... in the US at least. The EU has the decency of not recognizing software patents, which shouldn't exist in the first place.

The reality is that the one who has stolen something is Apple, not Samsung. Apple has patented ideas in the public domain like pinch to zoom (showcased in Minority Report in 2002 and developed by dozens of companies since the 80s) and double tap to zoom (implemented in Google Maps before the iPhone was released). By doing so, they have claimed exclusive ownership over these ideas, in effect privatizing them so no one can use them without paying extortion-level licensing from Apple (they asked 30$ per device from Samsung, while paying pennies for the wireless patents that make the iPhone a phone). Apple stole ideas by patenting them.

The decision from this jury is outrageous... but not surprising considering Apple chose the venue to be one 10 miles from their HQ, in an area which economy depends on Apple's success and where Steve Jobs is as admired as Jesus. The jury chose not to bite the hand that feeds them.

This is a loss for consumers everywhere. Apple wants to deprive us of choice, force us to buy iPhones and iPads. All consumers who care about having the ability to choose must boycott Apple.

Here's one phone that was found to be guilty of violation of Apple patent, now Samsung has to pay for "damages". A phone that came out in 2007.

http://www.mobileincanada.com/images/news/samsung-blackjack.jpg

How the hell does this look like an iPhone?

lol....

Easy, just come up with originality and a new design.

Samsung has broken its ethical standard. Apple is its biggest customer and stealing customer patents and compete with Apple is not a good business model for Korea Company. Who will want to do business with such as Company in future? The damaged of Samsung reputation is worst than $ 1 billions fine. Next time will be Korea Car Companies. They steal design from other car companies and make ugly car. I bought Hyundai and car is really shit.

Samsung has accused Apple for stealing idea and design from Sony Corporation. What Sony is doing all those years when other Companies making billions of dollars base on its idea and design?

Justice and decency prevailed. The world is need of good examples that the ends don't justify the means. Samsung may draw flowers around its words, but it's plain theft of technologies paid by Apple, that took five years to develop, that employed hundredes of engineers, designers, assistants. If you defend Samsung, then you defend theft, robbery, scams...think about that.

Internal memo sent by 2010 by Samsung mobile boss JK Shin, he calls the difference between the two user experiences, Apple vs Samsung, “a difference between Heaven and Earth.”

iPhone Caused “Crisis of Design” at Samsung (Memo) http://allthingsd.com/20120806/iphone-caused-crisis-of-design-at-samsung-memo/

Congratulations to the Apple!!!

They set the record streight against Samsung. This is just a beginning. They are looking into this matters further to go after China.

Now all my devices will square-shaped with sharp edges.

SamEsux

Every company is forced to look at what others are doing, identify where their products trail the competition and act on it. That's normal, even necessary, behavior. Apple for instance had designers drawing "inspiration" (ie copying) design philosophy from SONY, and had constituted an Android war room where Apple staff analyzed the Android competition to find where their devices were inferior and to "study" Android features iOS didn't have.

This is all normal behavior, and there's nothing wrong with Apple doing it... but it's wrong when they do it, then use the courts to prevent others from doing the same to them.

LostinNagoya

Apple is the thief. What they patented were ideas in the public domain and had been implemented in prototypes since 1991 by dozens of companies and research groups. They were presented with a multi-touch screen called DiamondTouch in 2003, and they stole a lot of concepts from it. They then patented those technologies in order to steal the exclusive right to them. It is completely unacceptable, and the US is one of the few places in the world where such software patents are considered valid.

Apple is a thief, the worst kind of thief, the thief who calls the police when the rightful owner tries to get his property back.

JeffLeeAug. 26, 2012 - 06:54AM JST

Now all my devices will square-shaped with sharp edges.

LOL. A great humor. I've got it. This is the best quote of 2012!

Apple wasn't the only company that was shocked at Samsung's conduct. Google also warned Samsung to change their designs.

Velvin Hogan, foreman of the nine-member panel, said in an interview that jurors went through a "meticulous" process of determining that Samsung infringed Apple's products. When it came time to determine whether the infringement was "willful," or intentional, "we knew where we had to go in the evidence," Hogan said, referring to the e-mails. The e-mails included an internal 2010 Samsung message describing how Google asked it to change the design of its products to look less like Apple's.

I wouldn't be surprised if the publicity surrounding this case makes it easier for the next company to sue Samsung for patent infringement.

^ and yes, Samsung followed Google's suggestions so that they don't get sued by Apple which at that time was treating Android phones as copy cats, was threatening to sue Samsung. But even after Google's suggestions were implemented, look what what happened, Apple sued anyway because it was square, rounded edges, flatscreen, multitouch scrolling. If they're allowed to patent icons and scrolling motions, then forget it, the game is over. No one will be able to make anything without Apple's permission. Good going USA, you've really done a good one.

every time Chucky does his "lol" thing I imagine it as a nervous chuckle.

Anyway, I'm not going to pretend I know about the patents, lawsuits, and which side is wrong or right or whatever. From my personal experience, I've always viewed Samsungs as very good knockoffs. I buy it, they're OK. Not great stuff, but definitely good enough. I've played with a Galaxy, and I can kind of see what Apple is a little ticked about.

My favorite quote about this lawsuit comes from some poor, obviously culturally oblivious Starbucks patron: "Samsung is Korean? I thought they were Chinese or something"

House Atreides, here is a little tidbit about Vlevin Hogan the jury foreman: the guy is a software patent holder. He had a vested interest in making sure that Apple's software patents, no matter how ridiculous, would stand, to set a precedent that could help him defend his patent one day.

Don't believe me? Why don't you believe him then?

"When I got in this case and I started looking at these patents I considered: "If this was my patent and I was accused, could I defend it?"" Hogan explained. On the night of Aug. 22, after closing arguments, "a light bulb went on in my head," he said. "I thought, I need to do this for all of them."

The guy has already admitted that he judged the case not on the merits of the case itself, but on the possible impact on his own patent. Other jurors said that they were confused about patent law and they followed this guy's lead. If the trial isn't thrown out because of this biased juror in conflict of interest, then there is no justice in the US.

If it was financially possible, Samsung should just retreat from the US market, leaving it up to HTC et all to compete with Apple....but as Apple doesn`t allow other players in their backyard, these companies will eventually too retreat. Leaving the good ol' usa folks with just one choice.....apple. Patriotism will have a price though.....

Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer

Nope...you don't get into a competing market by copying your competitor's product, otherwise ANYONE can do this and make money. You create an innovative product that does things that are different from your competitor's product to sway consumers into buying your product, NOTby creating a replica and selling it cheaper.

$1 billion damage? pfffftttt.... it's pocket change for Samsung.

$1 billion is NOT pocket change for any company..it's over 5% of their net profit which can make a difference between R & Ding a new product or not. Believe me, if this verdict sticks, some serious heads will roll at Samsung. This will not be taken lightly.

If this stands, Microsoft should also have to pay Apple for using GUI a beginning in 1986 until today. Protection for virtual "property" is crazy folks.

Wrong again Bob. Apple didn't develop the original Mac GUI on their own, and MS didn't steal their Windows 1.0 design from Apple. Both Apple and Microsoft pirated the Mac and Windows GUI from a failed product callled the Xerox Star. Xerox tried to sue both companies but their patent lawyers were too busy trying patent their laser printing technology to be bothered with it. By the time they got a clue and realized that the GUI was gold, it was way too late. Statute of limitations ran out of them.

Is this just a war between Apple and Samsung or is this a war between iOS and Android? As others have noted, this look like a bright window of opportunity (pun intended) for Steve Ballmer's MicroSoft to step-into the breach.

I wonder if this is why Nokia, especially, had gone so heavily into producing a W8 phone line last year when there seemingly was no appetite for it?

And I wonder if this was sheer luck on Ballmer's part or something he saw coming down the pike in any event.