The never-ending court rivalry between Samsung and Apple is one which returned to the courts again today. For those just tuning in, this particular battle revolves around the use of patents and comes on the back of a verdict which has already been awarded in Apple’s favor. While Apple is looking to get the patent ruling reinforced and Samsung is looking to have it overturned, this particular case has taken on greater significance due to Samsung’s less than usual defense of noting how courts awarding high damages on such patents is not only bad for innovation, but also for the industry as a whole.
In an opening brief filed Wednesday with the nation's highest court, Samsung presented its arguments for why an earlier ruling in Apple's favor should be thrown out. It said in the filing that "at a minimum, a new trial is necessary."
Samsung contends that Apple should only get profits from the parts of a smartphone that infringe Apple's patents -- the front face and a grid of icons on a user interface -- not the profits from the entire phone. It said that "grossly over rewarding design patents" will hurt competition and innovation and will lead to "absurd" results in other lawsuits.
"If the current ruling is left to stand, it would value a single design patent over the hundreds of thousands of groundbreaking technology patents, leading to vastly overvalued design patents," Samsung said in a statement.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Supreme Court in March agreed to review the long-running dispute between Apple and Samsung, the first time it has looked at a design patent case since the 1800s. A decision by the court could have a ripple effect across the technology industry and ultimately impact the gadgets you buy because it might finally define the value of design work.
Samsung wants the Supreme Court to give guidance on what is covered by design patents, which protect the way an item is used and how it works, and also on what damages can be collected. Currently, companies can collect damages for the entire value of the device, not just the infringing design aspects. In Apple v. Samsung, that led to an initial damages award totaling more than $1 billion.
The original Apple vs. Samsung trial in 2012 pitted a pair of the world's largest tech companies against each other. The case captivated Silicon Valley and the tech industry because it exposed the inner workings of two notoriously secretive companies. It was just one of many such trials around the world as the rivals sparred both in the marketplace and in the courtroom. At issue were design patents for a black, rectangular, round-cornered front face; a similar rectangular round-cornered front face plus the surrounding rim, known as the bezel; and a colorful grid of 16 icons.
Apple and Samsung last year agreed to bury the hatchet in their overseas cases, but their US court confrontations have continued. In December, Samsung said it would pay Apple the $548 million ordered by court.
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