Samsung Electronics Agrees To Pay Apple $548 Million As Settlement for Patent Dispute
After a grueling legal battle involving a patent dispute, South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. is at the losing end against smartphone rival Apple. Upon reaching a settlement, Samsung has agreed to pay Apple a whopping $548 million.
Reuters reported Friday the settlement comes after a United States appellate court in a decision last May to scale down the 2012 decision that ordered a $930 million penalty against Samsung to $382 million. Apple originally asked for $2.52 billion in damages.
According to documents filed in the federal court in San Jose, California on Tuesday, Samsung will make the payment on Dec. 14 if Apple sends them an invoice on Dec. 4. Dec. 14 also marks the last day for Samsung to file a petition to review with the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the decision finding the company guilty of infringing Apple's designs.
The Independent wrote Friday that the amount would at least partially settle a controversial dispute that has commenced since 2011, when Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung for allegedly copying technology and designs patented by Apple. Among the features reportedly copied by Samsung are Apple's pinch-to-zoom mechanism, scrolling styles and the overall look and feel of the iPhone's user interface and exterior design.
However, Samsung also said in a court filing on Thursday that they are making the payment only because an appellate court refused to issue an order enjoining the company to pay, the Korea Herald noted Saturday.
"We are disappointed that the court has agreed to proceed with Apple's grossly exaggerated damages claims regardless of whether the patents are valid," Samsung spokesperson Danielle Meister Cohen said.
"While we've agreed to pay Apple, we remain confident that our products do not infringe on Apple's design patents, and we will continue to take all appropriate measures within the legal system to protect our products and our intellectual property."
Should the U.S. Supreme Court rule in favor of Samsung's appeal, the South Korean company expects a reimbursement of the money they would be paying Apple under the current settlement terms.
Marcus Thymian, patent lawyer in McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, opined that the lawsuit will most likely continue. "I don't see it as a precursor to a settlement. The cost of litigation is large in amount of dollars, but not large compared with the amount of revenue they're bringing in from the smartphones."