The Supreme Court has overturned Apple’s $400 million award in its long-running patent lawsuit against Samsung. Apple won the case in 2012, convincing a federal court that a number of Samsung devices had infringed upon iPhone design patents – including one for a rectangular device with rounded corners and bezels, and another for a home screen comprised of a grid of colorful apps. The Supreme Court’s decision today does not reverse Apple’s win, but does mean that the case will be returned to the Federal Circuit so that the damages can be reassessed.
Yeah, this thing is still going on.
This only proves one thing: Lawyers, clearly, have nothing better to do. Why do these fools get paid so much to do nothing of value whatsoever? I’m directing this to both sides. All these billions squandered could go to, oh I don’t know, improving your products.
Its true, lawyers have nothing better to do other than what they are being paid to do.
Blaming lawyers for this mess is silly. Its Apple and Samsung the corporations doing what they each believe is in the best interest for their shareholders.
I think there should be a change in the law that would prevent this kind of silly waste of money by changing that profit equation => ie patent reform.
And who’s in charge of changing the laws?
Yep, the problem isn’t the lawyers – it’s the people who pay the lawyers to keep litigating. It’s not like this is a case of ambulance-chasers working for a cut of the proceeds – these are corporate lawyers doing what they’re told.
darknexus,
We agree on this: patents are a huge net loss for our industry. There is so much waste on both sides, money that could have gone to much better use. Yet I don’t really see how it makes sense to blame the defendants who are reacting to the litigation. What would you have them do? What would you do in their place? The blame needs to be focused on those who are filing lawsuits offensively and the patent system that encourages it.
Edited 2016-12-06 23:02 UTC
Pretty much the patent system needs to stop giving patents out for stupid crap like design. While you can trademark some design choices, a rectangle with rounded corners shouldn’t be one of them.
Can you imagine if someone had patented round time pieces? That’s seriously how retarded this is.
Which billions squandered? You are not seriously thinking that the lawyers get paid that much?
Samsung and Apple both HAVE greatly improved their products. They also have billions in the bank. Money is not what is limiting their product improvement
It has been clear from the beginning that Samsung analysed the Apple products in every detail and made hundreds of changes to their products to make it look and work like the Apple products. The question was always “is that illegal” and “how much should they pay Apple if that was illegal”. It turns out it was illegal and that the jury decided that Samsung should pay Apple WAY too much according to the law/judges.