The US Supreme Court struggled to find an amicable solution over the iPhone patent feud between Apple and Samsung. According to reports, the judges were puzzled over how to fix the value of individual design elements in a complex product such as iPhone.
A bench comprising eight judges heard arguments in a petition filed by Samsung to reduce $399 million of $548 million it paid to the Cupertino-giant in December 2015. Among the eight judges, few of them expressed willingness to decrease the huge penalties imposed for ripping off other manufacturers patented design. However, few judges raised questions as to how juries could figure out the importance of a specific design trait in a product in order to calculate damages.
Judges opinion differs over Samsung-Apple patent case
During the hearing, Justice Anthony Kennedy revealed that if I were a juror, I wouldn’t know what to do. Meanwhile, judges desperately struggled with how the lower courts imposed huge penalties when it is difficult to determine the design patent damages.
In the meantime, Justice Elena Kagan put forward a theory which suggests that it might be difficult for the jury to arrive at the damages. Since the case involves theoretical patent infringement, it will be difficult for the judges to arrive at a conclusion. This is because the used patent might be the driving factor which tempts consumers to purchase the gadget.
Samsung found guilty of infringing iPhone patents
Samsung paid the amount following a 2012 verdict, which found that the company is guilty of infringing iPhone patents. Samsung reportedly copied the unique appearance of iPhone to manufacture Galaxy and other competing handsets.
Samsung awarded with $399 million penalties on three counts
The court in 2012 had imposed $399 million penalties since it found that Samsung has violated three Apple patents such as the design of the iPhone’s rounded-corner front face, bezel and a colorful grid of icons that represent programs and applications.
Interestingly, the case was heard on the same day as Samsung scrapped its latest flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone following reports of explosion and fire. Touted to be a competitor to Apple iPhone 7, the company had integrated few new features like Iris scanner into the handset. However, things worsened when both old and replaced Note 7 handsets exploded forcing the company to issue a recall and subsequent suspension of production.