In the District Court of Northern California in San Jose this week, Apple and Samsung ended their seven-year litigation battle over smartphone design and utlity patents. Both Samsung and Apple will be keeping the terms of the agreement quiet and, despite Samsung declining to comment, an Apple spokesperson has this to say:
“We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. 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. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple.”
The lawsuit began in 2011 with Apple alleging that Samsung’s then-new Nexus Android phones infringed upon Apple’s patents, trademarks, user interface, and style. After back and forth for 6 years, it reached the US Supreme Court in 2017 and was referred back to the San Jose court. Judge Lucy Koh was in charge of the proceedings and concluded the case in a quick missive written by attorneys from both sides.
All we do know is between 2012 and 2018, damage costs awarded to apple were reduced from $1 billion to $539 million.
Source: The patent lawyer magazine
The EU General Court yesterday annulled an earlier ruling by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that found a trademark invalid following opposition by Red Bull.
