A U.S. jury awarded Apple Inc about $290 million (R2.9 billion) in a damages retrial against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, restoring a large chunk of a historic verdict the iPhone maker won last year.
After a week long trial, the jury deliberated for nearly two days before reaching a decision on Thursday in a San Jose, California federal court. Apple had requested $379.8 million, while Samsung argued that it should have to pay $52.7 million
Apple and Samsung have been fighting in the courts for over two years. Apple was awarded over $1 billion last year after it convinced a jury that Samsung copied various iPhone features – like using fingers to pinch and zoom on the screen – along with design touches like the phone’s flat, black glass screen.
Earlier this year U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh upheld nearly $640 million of that verdict but ordered a retrial on the rest, ruling that the previous jury had made some errors in its calculations. Combined with the retrial verdict of $290.5 million on Thursday, Apple has now been awarded $929.8 million in the case.
Apple called its marketing chief Phil Schiller to testify during the trial. Samsung did not call any senior executives, a fact hammered on by Apple attorneys during closing argument. Juror Barry Goldman-Hall, 60, said the six-woman two-man jury discussed the disparity.
“We felt like we had way more information from Apple and we were left wondering why we hadn’t gotten other information from Samsung,” said Goldman-Hall, a therapist.
Samsung spokeswoman Lauren Restuccia said the company is disappointed by the verdict, especially because one of the patents in the case has been recently deemed invalid by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Apple is contesting that finding.
Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said it was grateful to the jury for imposing costs on Samsung, though she said the case has been more about protecting innovation than winning money.
Samsung manufactures phones that use the Android operating system, which is developed by Google. In addition to the fight over money, Apple is seeking a permanent injunction against several older Samsung phones. Koh had previously rejected such a sales ban, but earlier this week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ordered her to reconsider.
Source: NDTV
