Over the years, Apple and Samsung are at war over patent and layout designs. On December 2016,the Supreme Court sided with Samsung and ruled against Apple in design patent case.The case was sent back to the lower courts.
According to the The National Law Review,Justice Sotomayor reversed the Federal Circuit's ruling that Apple was entitled to $399 million in damages.The appeal turned on the interpretation of the phrase "article of manufacture".The United States Patent and Trademark Office defined "An article of manufacture" as any new or non-obvious physical product in relation to patent law.
US News also reported that Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the issue was the phrase "article of manufacture".It is unclear whether Apple or Samsung interpreted the term correctly. "So understood, the term 'article of manufacture' is broad enough to encompass both a product sold to a consumer as well as a component of that product," Sotomayor said.
The legal battle over the patent issue started in October.Apple argued that Samsung copied some design aspects of Apple's iPhone.But the South Korean company argued that it should pay a smaller amount because it did not market a carbon copy of the iPhone.
In 2011, Apple sued Samsung for infringement of design patents.Samsung was found guilty and Apple was awarded $399 million in damages.Samsung fought back by filing a countersuit against Apple for 3g wireless patent infringement. Since then, more than 50 legal battles between the two tech companies have taken place worldwide.
Before the legal battles, Apple and Samsung had a great relationship.They were long-time partners,Samsung used to be a major Apple supplier until the South Korean Company decided to sell android devices.Apple did not like this and called it "stolen" product and copycat of the iPhone.
Apple and Samsung products are always compared.Take for example the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S;and iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab's designs.Reviews about the comparison of Apple and Samsung products are found at Jobs & Hire.
The Supreme Court 's decision is still unclear but reports say it looks like Samsung might get a chance on reducing its liabilities to Apple.It seems that patent wars between these two giant companies will never end.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
