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Summary: The fight between Apple and Samsung regarding their patent infringements on the iPhone has reached the highest court with arguments starting Tuesday.
Nearly six years has gone by with Apple and Samsung still battling over patents and smartphone designs. Now the fight will go before the top court tomorrow. The Supreme Court will consider the patent infringement issue as they hear both sides’ arguments. Samsung is at risk of paying $548 million to Apple for overstepping on their patent.
Samsung calls the amount “disproportionate” for the patent infringement accusations by Apple regarding the profits from 11 disputed smartphones. Apple is adamant that Samsung blatantly copied various iPhone design features and wants the reward of $399 million and the additional $150 million for the pinch-to-zoom patent.
Read $120 Million Jury Verdict against Samsung Overturned.
The patents owned by Apple cover “the rounded corners of its phones, the rim that surrounds the front face and the grid of icons that users view.” A federal court in San Jose ruled in December that Samsung owed Apple the $548 million for using their patents. An appeals court ruled in Samsung’s favor based on their argument that “the ruling was akin to awarding the entire profits on a car because of an infringing cup-holder.”
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The Supreme Court will be determining if the patent infringement covers individual components or the entire product. Apple states they “failed to show that the patented designs applied only to part of its phones.” Samsung has already paid the reward but there is a stipulation that could require Apple to pay back the money should the ruling be reversed.
The case will be the first design patent dispute case to be heard in 120 years. The last case to be heard was in the 1890s over carpet design patents and then in the 1870s for spoon handles.
Do you think Apple should be rewarded with the full profits from the phones or only a portion? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about the fight between Apple and Samsung, read Patent-Infringement Ruling Reinstated Against Samsung.
Photo: nbcwashington.com
