Apple Wins Patent Infringement Case Against Samsung

image

Unless you’ve been living under a mountain, you know all about the Apple vs Samsung patent trial that’s been going on in the US and abroad. And while Samsung basically walked out with a victory in its hometown of Korea against Apple(iPhone 4 and iPad 2 banned as well as some Samsung devices but Samsung can easily remedy with a simple work around. Apple cannot), Apple had the FULL HOMETOWN ADVANTAGE here in the US. From the beginning, the vast majority had painted Samsung as the criminal and Apple as the innocent victim. And it worked. Royally. While Apple was found NOT to infringe on any of Samsung’s patents, Samsung was found guilty on almost all accounts and ordered to pay a hefty billion dollar fine(Not so hefty to a heavy weight like Samsung though). Here’s what Apple won in court today:

Jury finds Samsung infringement of Apple utility, design patents for some (though not all) products

Jury upholds Apple utility, design patents

Jury upholds Apple trade dress ’983

Jury finds Samsung “diluted” Apple’s registered iPhone, iPhone 3 and “Combination iPhone” trade dress on some products, not on others

No Apple infringement of Samsung utility patents

Jury found Samsung violated antitrust law by monopolizing markets related to the UMTS standard

Samsung is so ordered to pay $1.05 Billion dollars to Apple for its trouble. Small change to Samsung but still…

And while I personally think that Apple should have been found guilty of using Samsung’s tech in its phones without paying for it, this jury obviously didn’t feel the same way. And while all over the internet and Facebook and Twitter, tech journalists are spelling doom and gloom for Samsung, Google and Android… They really need to sit back and think a minute.

First – Google will in no way, shape or form be affected by this outcome. So chill out folks. With the exception of the bounce thing your web page does when your scrolling it, everything else was basically on design. Easily remedied(See my third point).

Second – That’s really NOT a lot of money to a company as big as Samsung.

Third – All this means is that Samsung opens the piggy bank a bit, changes the design on some of its devices, and Google will now scrutinize any upcoming Android devices to make sure they’re not infringing. Oh, and a simple work around to take care of the scroll/bounce thing. Did I mention that Samsung will in all likely hood appeal and end up paying a lesser amount? Because I’m 90% sure that’s what’s going to happen.

So chill out people. Do I think this verdict is fair? Of course not. Anyone who knows me knows full and well my disdain for all things Apple. But even I can admit Samsung copied some of Apple’s designs. Touchwiz anyone? Do I think Apple should have to pay for using Samsung’s 3G tech. Of course I do. But some ridiculous thing called FRAND that is akin to a handshake prevents Samsung from reaming Apple over this. But… Samsung(and Android’s) current powerhouses, the Galaxy Nexus(or Nexus Prime as some call it) and the Galaxy SIII are UNTOUCHED by this. Two of the three BEST Android phones on the market are safe from all of this ridiculousness. Do I think this is over? Not by a long shot.

So while Apple won the battle(in the US anyway), the war still rages on.

About The Author

Kamil M Abdullah has been a self proclaimed techie and bonafide smart phone expert nearly half of his life. Starting with the very first Sidekick(not necessarily a smart phone but close enough) to Blackberry to Symbian to Windows(Mobile & Phone 7) to Web OS to Android, he has used virtually every smart phone operating system. Kamil has also worked with computer programming in Bloomberg's Data Center and Backup Operations on their proprietary software. In his quest for further knowledge in mobile operating systems, Kamil voraciously devours any reading material on the subject he can find. Kamil is also a hip hop head to the fullest, having fallen in love with the art form from the very first "a hip hop the hibby to the hibby the hip hip the hop" and tr808 beat. He promises to use his vast powers and knowledge only for the good of mankind.