A US jury has ordered Samsung to pay more than $1 billion (€799 million) in damages to Apple in a sweeping victory for the iPhone maker in the ongoing legal battle between the two companies.
The jury found Samsung had infringed on several of Apple’s patents and copied critical features of the iPhone and iPad.
The figure was less than half of the $2.5 billion Apple had sought from Samsung. The company is also seeking a ban on sales of some of Samsung’s key products.
Samsung has promised to appeal against the ruling describing it as a loss for the American consumer. "It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," the South Korean firm said.
The ruling could also mean new legal troubles for smartphone makers that sell devices based on Google’s Android system.
The jury deliberated for less than three days before delivering the verdict on seven Apple patent claims and five Samsung patent claims - suggesting that the nine-person panel had little difficulty in concluding that Samsung had copied the iPhone and the iPad.
Apple's charges that Samsung copied its designs and features are widely viewed as an attack on Google and its Android software, which drives Samsung's devices and has become the most-used mobile software.
The long running legal battle between the two firms has seen around 30 legal actions filed across four continents. Apple has accused its rival of “slavishly” copying the iPhone and iPad. Samsung, for its part, has filed a number of counter-suits.
Early yesterday a South Korean court found that both companies shared blame, ordering Samsung to stop selling 10 products including its Galaxy S II phone and banning Apple from selling four different products, including its iPhone 4.
But the trial on Apple's home turf - the world's largest and most influential technology market - is considered the most important.
Although the companies go head to head in the smartphone market, they are also business partners, with a $5 billion supply relationship. Apple is Samsung's biggest customer for microprocessors and other parts central to Apple's devices.
Additional reporting: Reuters
