Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Samsung Appeal in Patent Case With Apple

After refusing to hear Apple's appeal in the e-Books pricing fixing case, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Samsung's appeal over a $548 million patent infringement verdict awarded to Apple.

Samsung says the penalties awarded to Apple were excessive.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd paid Apple Inc more than $548 million in December related to a jury verdict from 2012. It is seeking to pare back the $399 million of that amount that was awarded for infringing on the designs of the iPhone's rounded-corner front face, bezel and colorful grid of icons, saying they contributed only marginally to a complex device.


Notably, while the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington upheld the patent infringement verdict, it said that the iPhone's appearance could not be protected through trademarks. So another trial later this month in San Jose, California will recalculate some of damages Apple is owed.

The appeal to the Supreme Court could help establish how important design is to the overall value of a product.

"A patented design might be the essential feature of a spoon or rug. But the same is not true of smartphones, which contain countless other features that give them remarkable functionality wholly unrelated to their design," Samsung said.

Apple had urged the Supreme Court not to take case, saying that Samsung's illegal conduct was clear. If it wins, Samsung expects to be reimbursed for the money it's already given Apple.


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