Apple wins $1B verdict against Samsung

After just three days of deliberation, a jury awarded Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) a $1 billion victory against Samsung in the companies' patent-infringement battle. The victory by Apple, if it stands, could have significant repercussions across the smartphone landscape, since Apple will likely assert its patents against other Android smartphone makers.

According to a variety of reports, the nine-member jury ruled that Samsung infringed on a variety of Apple patents, including those covering the design of Apple's smartphones and tablets and various features and functions, such as the way users scroll through screens. The jury said Apple was due $1 billion in damages--less than the $2.5 billion Apple sought. The jury also rejected Samsung's counter claims that Apple infringed on Samsung patents.

According to the New York Times, the jury filled out a 20-page verdict form that contained 700 questions related to the specifics of the case.

The trial was closely watched, mainly due to testimony of a number of key Apple executives and the various news nuggets uncovered during the event, including that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) licensed Apple's design patents for its Windows Phone platform.

Many had expected deliberations to continue through next week at least, due to the complexity of the topics involved.

Neither Samsung nor Apple has offered an official comment on the news, though it's likely that Samsung will appeal the verdict.

The case, between the world's two largest smartphone manufacturers, represents a key battleground in the growing war around smartphone patents. Apple, Samsung, Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Motorola Mobility, Microsoft and others have been embroiled in a variety of patent-infringement cases stretching across the globe.

Apple's executives, led by the late CEO Steve Jobs, have long argued that Google's Android platform too closely copies the company's iPhone and iOS software. This case between Apple and Samsung has been viewed as a proxy battle between Apple and Google.

For more:
- see this New York Times article
- see this AllThingsD article

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