Apple versus Samsung: A Patent War of Titanic Proportions

2012-11-29

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APPLEVERSUSSAMSUNG:APATENTWAROFTITANICPROPORTIONS

J
EAN-FRANÇOISJOURNAULT*
ROBIC,LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

Inacontextwherepatentlitigationoftengivestheimpressionoftrenchwarfare,the
legalsagapittingAppleagainstSamsunglookslikeaglobalconflict.

Thetwocompanieshavebeenfightingforsometimeinpatentlitigationacross
severalcontinents,notablyinAustralia,SouthKorea,Japan,Germany,France,Italy,
theNetherlands,GreatBritainandtheUnitedStates.Insomecases,Applefiledthe
originallawsuitforpatentinfringement,whileonotheroccasions
Samsungcommencedproceedings.However,inmostcases,theaccusedcompany
retaliatedwithitsownlawsuittoinvalidatethecitedpatentsandfurtheralleging
infringementofsomeofitsownpatents.LitigationwithAppleinEurope,Australiaand
theUnitedStateshaslead,insomecases,totheissuanceoftemporaryinjunctions
preventingSamsungfromimportingcertainmodelsofitssmartphonesandtabletsin
thosejurisdictions.
Althoughmanyoftheseordersweresubsequentlyoverturnedorrenderedobsolete
bythedevelopmentofmodifieddevicestocircumventtheallegedlyinfringed
features,itstillremainsthatApplebenefitedfromatemporarycompetitiveadvantage
insometargetmarkets.Damageswerealsoawardedtobothsidesattheconclusion
ofcertainofthedisputes.
Amongthemanydisputes,themostinterestingbattleisprobablytheoneoccurringin
theUnitedStates,whichparticularlymeritsourattention.Indeed,itissouthofthe
borderthatthehostilitiesbetweenthepartiesstartedwithalawsuitfiledbyApplein
April2011withtheFederalCourtDistrictofCalifornia.Appleallegedthatsomeunits
soldbySamsunginfringedsomeofitspatents,inadditiontoviolatingitstrademarks
rights,theuserinterfaceandthelookandfeeloftheiPhones
TMandtheiPadTM.

ThefirstroundofthisconfrontationwaswonbyApplewhich,inadecisiondated
August24,2012,wasawardeddamagesofmorethanonebillionU.S.dollarsforthe
violationofalmostallclaimedpatentsandindustrialdesigns.Thejuryrejectedallthe
allegationsofinfringementmadebySamsunginitscounterclaim.

©CIPS,2012.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheFall2012(Vol.16,no.3)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.155E.

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ThisdecisionhasnowbeenbroughttotheFederalCourtofAppealsoftheUnited
States,Samsungciting,amongotherthings,irregularitiesrelatedtotheimpartialityof
jurorswhorenderedthedecisionandchallengingthevalidityofcertaincitedpatents.
Atthisstage,itistooearlytojudgetheimpactofthedecision,astheCourtofAppeal
orthetrialjudgecouldstilloverturnthejury’sverdict.Inaddition,somepost-verdict
motionsmustalsoberesolved,includingthedeterminationofwhetherSamsung
infringedcertainpatentsdeliberately,whichcouldinflatethedamagesover700
millionadditionaldollars.
AsecondactionbroughtforthbyAppleisalsounderwaybetweenthesepartiesinthe
UnitedStates.ThisparticularcaseledtoatemporarybanonimportsofGalaxy
Nexus
TMphoneintheUnitedStatesearlierthisyear,abanthathasnowbeen
canceled.Itwillbeinterestingtofollowthedevelopmentsinthiscase,asatrialis
scheduledforMarch2014,andislikelytoprovideitsshareofsurprisesalongthe
way.
AthirddisputebetweenthepartiescouldalsoemergeshortlyintheUnitedStates
concerningfourteenpatentsAppleandSamsungsetasideinthefirstcase,inorder
tofacilitateaquickdecision.Unlikepatentscitedinthefirsttrialthatwereprimarily
focusedonvisualaspectsorauxiliaryfunctionsofthedevices,thesefourteenpatents
relatetotechnologieslyingattheheartofthedevices.Thus,mostanalystsagree
thattheoutcomeofatrialrevolvingaroundthesepatentsmaysignificantlyalterthe
balanceofpowerbetweenAppleandSamsung,wellbeyondthepreviousmonetary
award,regardlessoftheamount.

Inconclusion,althoughthissagahasalreadyseenagreatdealofspiltink,itislikely
thatthehostilitiesarefarfromover.Infact,rarelydoesadaygobyontheplanet
withouttheemergenceofanewdevelopmentinoneofthemanydisputesbetween
thesetwocompetitors,whetheritisajudicialdecisiononapatentinfringementissue,
adecisiononthevalidityofacitedpatent,orthelike.Asanexample,wecancitethe
recentdecisionofacourtinTheHaguestatingthattherangeofGalaxy
TMproducts
fromSamsungdidnotviolateApplepatentsconcerningmultitasking.Inthiscontext,
onecanbelievethatthesebattleswillbejustasimportantasthosethatwerealready
fought.

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