In what looks to be the conclusion of a seven-year long court battle over patents, Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple $539 million in damages, Bloombergreports. Samsung infringed on three of Apple’s design patents: “covering the rounded corners of its phones, the rim that surrounds the front face, and the grid of icons that users view” as well as “two utility patents, which protect the way something works and is used."
If you think $539 million doesn't sound right, consider it’s a compromise between the $2.5 billion Apple originally sought in 2011 and the $28 million Samsung argued it should pay. The jurors came to a decision after deliberating on the central question of whether Samsung should pay damages based on sales of its smartphones or just the specific components that were found to infringe Apple’s patents.
“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 on their website. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.”
The Supreme Court decision Samsung is referring to happened in December 2016, in which the court ruled that Samsung would not be liable for penalties for copying some of the iPhone’s design.
In a statement provided toMashable, Apple maintained the case "has always been about more than money."
"We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers,” the statement said. “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.”
This verdict is the third-largest U.S. jury award in 2018 so far, according to Bloomberg. It’s also the biggest damages award for a patent case this year.
