Samsung Ordered to Pay Apple $533-Million for Copying iPhone

A US federal court jury has ordered Samsung to pay Apple $533-million (R6.63-billion) for copying iPhone design features.

The ruling on Thursday relates to a patent case dating back seven years.

AFP reports that jurors tacked on an additional $5-million in damages for a pair of patented functions.

Apple asked the jury to award $1 billion in damages, while Samsung asked jurors to limit the damages to $28 million. But, the jury sided with Apple, and the new award is more than Samsung would have had to pay had the retrial not happened.

The award appeared to be a bit of a victory for Apple, which had argued in court that design was essential to the iPhone.

The jury had been asked to determine whether design features at issue in the case are worth all profit made from Samsung smartphones that copied them or whether those features are worth just a fraction because they are components.

The three design patents in the case apply to the shape of the iPhone’s black screen with rounded edges and a bezel, and the rows of colourful icons displayed.

Samsung no longer sells the smartphone models at issue in the case.

Two utility patents also involved apply to “bounce-back” and “tap-to-zoom” functions.

In a statement Apple says they are happy with the verdict.

“It is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. We’re grateful to the jury for their service and pleased they agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products.”

Samsung says the verdict flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favour of its scope of design patent damages. 

“We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity.”

An original trial finding that Samsung violated Apple patents was followed by lengthy appellate duelling over whether design features such as rounded edges are worth all the money made from a phone.