Samsung and Apple prepare for trial D-day
APPLE and Samsung are this week due to find out the result of the US patent infringement trial that could have significant implications for the two tech giants and the wider mobile phone industry, after the two firms failed to carve out a deal at the weekend.
The California jury will now decide the result of the trial, and are set to start deliberations after each firm’s closing arguments tomorrow, following three weeks of testimony.
Judge Lucy Koh has demanded the two firms’ executives thrash out a deal, but neither side has been willing to back down, with the deadline for an settlement passing at the weekend.
“The parties… have not been able to narrow their cases further,” a joint SEC filing read on Saturday.
The increasingly bitter lawsuit has seen Apple accusing the Korean firm of copying the design of Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and demanding $2.5bn (£1.6bn) in damages as well as sales bans on some of Samsung’s products.
Samsung has countersued, alleging Apple has copied its network technology and claiming $422m from the California firm.
The trial’s result could cause widespread repercussions for both firms. Success for Apple could severely hit Samsung’s finances, while a defeat would be a serious blow for Apple, which has pursued a global strategy of patent litigation.