Apple vs Samsung: the $1bn lawsuit

28 Aug 2012

On Saturday, Samsung was ordered to pay $1bn in damages to Apple after the Korean giant was judged to have breached the Cupertino company's patents.

 

The case concerned various smartphone features that Apple claimed Samsung copied from its iPhone, including tapping the screen to zoom in and the 'bounce back' response when you drag to the end of a menu. Of course, Samsung hit back with claims that Apple was using the threat of litigation to dominate the marketplace, an argument that's hard to dismiss when you consider Samsung's excellent sales figures for its Galaxy smartphones.

 

Samsung said: 'Apple's overreaching claim for damages is a natural extension of its attempts to monopolise the marketplace... It seeks to collect 'lost profits' despite the fact that no one buys phones because they have 'bounce back' feature or other manifestations of Apple's alleged inventions.'

 

The $1bn fine is only a portion of the $2.5bn that Apple demanded, while Samsung itself has pitched for damages for similar patent infringement allegations. It's a funny relationship, especially considering Apple actually buys components from Samsung to use in its products.

 

This victory for Apple could have major repercussions in the smartphone and tablet world, scaring off Apple's competitors and making the Californian company once again the dominant force. Alternatively, perhaps it will encourage rival manufacturers to come up with original features and stand-out devices - just look at Asus with its Transformer Prime tablet, and Archos' new 101 XS tablet with a removable keyboard cover.