Business Litigation: What Goes Up…

In August of last year a California jury found South Korean multinational electronics company Samsung Group guilty of infringing on several patents owned by Apple, an American multinational electronics company. The upshot was a $1.05 billion dollar damage award to Apple.

In March of this year, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh reduced the damage award by $450.5 million dollars, roughly halving the award to Apple. In lowering the damages, Judge Koh noted mistakes made in calculating the damages and the dates by which Apple notified Samsung of the alleged patent violations. A new trial has been ordered to address those mistakes.

Business litigation is a means by which companies large and small do business. The ongoing battle between Apple and Samsung spreads across the globe to Japan, Germany and Australia. Despite posturing and protracted litigation, the thrust of the litigation is more about the shape of things to come, than patent infringements that splintered the mobile computing ecosystem created by Apple.

Our firm of experienced business law attorneys assists companies plan and litigate when needed to achieve their ends. On a larger scale, the ongoing joust between Apple and Samsung is a complicated dance by two partners still friendly on the supply side but equally determined to build market share in the battle for smartphone and tablet dominance.

Neither Samsung nor Apple is at risk of being driven out of business by a half billion dollar verdict or competition for mobile supremacy. Apple has not succeeded in enforcing a ban on infringing products nor has it convinced a judge it has lost more than sales. The competition — and the litigation — continue.