Apple and Samsung return to court

Last year, Apple won a massive lawsuit victory against rival Samsung after a jury awarded the Cupertino, California-based company $1.05 billion. The jury found that Samsung's smartphones infringed on a number of Apple's patents, including those that protected the "bounce back" technology found in iOS devices. This technology makes open apps appear to "bounce" on iPhones and iPads when users scroll too far, and is considered to be a defining—if subtle—feature of an Apple device.

As it turns out, this fight isn't over. According to a report by Gigaom, the two tech giants are headed back to court.

There is little chance of the ruling against Samsung being overturned, but that isn't the issue here. The news source reported that it is the award amount that must be reconsidered. The jury in the original trial apparently used the wrong formula to calculate the damages, and as a result, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh cut the amount by 45 percent. 

A new jury will have to reconsider just how much Samsung will be forced to pay. Some observers expect the final amount to be higher than what Judge Koh decided, but less than the original amount. Though it is unlikely that the money will damage Samsung in any meaningful way, this decision will likely serve as precedent for future cases, of which there will be many.

This shows that intellectual property cases do not necessarily end with a single decision. It is important for companies to work with a Phoenix business attorney so they are prepared for the long haul.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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