Samsung's Internal Memo to Employees Following Loss to Apple in Court
LIKE
TWEET
SHARE
PIN
SHARE
POST
MAIL
MORE
Posted August 27, 2012 at 3:37pm by iClarified
Samsung has posted an internal memo sent to employees following the jury verdict which found the company guilty of copying Apple.
On Friday, August 24, 2012, the jury verdict in our trial against Apple was announced at the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The following is an internal memo that reflects Samsung's position regarding the verdict:
----- We initially proposed to negotiate with Apple instead of going to court, as they had been one of our most important customers. However, Apple pressed on with a lawsuit, and we have had little choice but to counter-sue, so that we can protect our company.
Certainly, we are very disappointed by the verdict at the US District Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA), and it is regrettable that the verdict has caused concern amongst our employees, as well as our loyal customers.
However, the judge's final ruling remains, along with a number of other procedures. We will continue to do our utmost until our arguments have been accepted.
The NDCA verdict starkly contrasts decisions made by courts in a number of other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Korea, which have previously ruled that we did not copy Apple's designs. These courts also recognized our arguments concerning our standards patents.
History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation.
We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt. -----
Prior to the iPhone, Samsung made really nice flip phones. After the release of the iPhone, Samsung phones evolved to look and function essentially just like iPhones, not Samsungs. An iPhone has a unique identity. A Samsung could now be described as something that is similar to an iPhone but I'd hardly agree they have an identity of their own any more.
We like Apple products and we have a bunch of them! We also like new comers like Samsung and Android! They are rocking.
For us as consumers the rulling is really bad, Apple is left alone to overcharge their products. I bought an iPad 2 days before the rulling if i was buying today i was going to go with a Samsung pad.
The ruling is not bad for the customer at all. It just forces Samsung to create something new and different. That's going to be substantially more choice as opposed to just a copy of some sort. Maybe we'll re-discover that Samsung can't do that, but then others get a fair chance at least to jump in with truly innovative ideas. E.g. nobody feels that MS & Nokia did a cheap copy. So this ruling boosts them quite a bit. I think this will be for the better of all (except Samsung maybe or maybe not)
Everything in this world is copied from another. Im not on samsungs side, however, u can say that everything ever made is copied. Innovation is actually taking a idea and making it better. Not saying that's what Samsung did, but the word innovate means to take something and make it better. Just my 2 cents
But additionally, Samsung was accused of copying software patented items, such as the "bounce-back" effect you see when you scroll down fast and hit the end of a list. Several software or "look and feel" items were involved, not just the way the phone looks.
Samsung has been extremely innovative at describing how they copy Apple products. I love how they describe this as a loss for consumers... why would a consumer ever want the innovator to profit from their ideas? (end sarcasm) I like how they imply that they weren't found guilty in the courts of other nations when even in Korea, they were found guilty. Sometimes I really believe that America is the only country that protects intellectual properly... The decision in the UK was probably the most absurd thing ever so I'm glad to see that justice has been served in this great country.
Samsung claims to be innovative while holding design meetings which are centered around how Samsung's phones can be more like Apple's phones. THAT'S NOT INNOVATION!