U.S. Highest Court Agrees To Hear Apple-Samsung Patent Battle

The highest court of the United States announced on Monday that it will hear the high-profile patent battle between Apple and Samsung, two of the world's biggest technology companies.

The Korean-based company had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court that the Cupertino-based tech giant has demanded excessive penalties for imitating iPhone's patented designs.

Samsung has already paid Apple over $548 million in December in relation to the jury verdict handed down in 2012. The company is seeking to trim down $399 million of that money which was demanded for infringing on the rounded-corner designs of the iPhone from the front face, bezel and the colored grid icons.

The Korean company claimed that those iPhone design features contributed just a small percentage to a complex device. A company spokeswoman, in a statement said that the high court's review ""can lead to a fair interpretation of patent law that will support creativity and reward innovation."

In their deliberations to take the case on a closed door meeting on Friday, the Supreme Court Justices finally agreed to hear one of the two issues raised by Samsung's appeal.

First is how damage should be determined for violations of patent when the technology in question is just a small part of the many complex components that go in building an iPhone.

But the justices stated that they will not review the other concern of Samsung which involves a certain law regarding design patents which were discussed in the trial, for the reason that the basic look and feel of the iPhone had been copied.

With this Samsung plea, Apple might not get the total amount of damages that it wants.

"Apple's win (in the first trial) may be secure, but the amount of damages it is ultimately awarded is likely to be significantly reduced," said Brian Love, a Santa Clara University law professor.

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