UPDATED 00:28 EDT / MAY 25 2018

APPS

Samsung stung for $539 million for copying iPhone features

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today was ordered by a court to pay $539 million in damages to Apple Inc. over patent infringement relating to the design of the iPhone.

In a case that has been going on for seven years, jurors in a federal court in San Jose, California, decided Thursday that the Korean electronics giant should cough up the money for copying such features as the rounded corners on the iPhone, rim of the front face of the phone, the app grid layout and also infringing on utility patents which relate to how the phone is used.

“We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers,” Apple said in a statement. “This case has always been about more than money. Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design.”

Apple first demanded that Samsung pay $2.5 billion in damages in 2011. That amount was then reduced to $1 billion, although that amount was further reduced to $548 million on appeal. Samsung agreed to pay that amount in 2015.

In a case that has seen a number of retrials, in 2017 Apple scored a victory, winning $120 million in damages for violating two of Apple’s patents, including the iPhone’s well-known slide-to-unlock feature. In that case, the court ruled that there would be no further appeals.

Samsung again appealed and brought the figure down to $399 million, an amount based on Samsung’s sales of phones said to infringe on Apple’s parents. An additional $140 million was added to that, and it looks as though the $539 million could be the final number. Samsung may think otherwise, though.

“Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said in a statement. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.”

Image: mahmoud99725 via Flickr

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