Samsung stung with $1bn Apple damages

Apple has been awarded US$1bn damages from rivals Samsung in their high stacks patent infringement case in the U.S.

A Californian jury made the ruling late Friday, recommending the world's most valuable company be awarded compensation after finding Samsung guilty of 'willful' violations of a range of Apple patents.

Samsung says it will 'move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn this decision in this court, and if we are not successful, we will appeal this decision to the court of appeals.'

In a further blow to the South Korean company, the jury of seven men and two women ruled against their counterclaims that Apple had violated some of its designs.

After talks between respective CEOs broke down on Monday, the jury began deliberating over a verdict form containing over 700 questions for the multifaceted intellectual property case.

The court ruled some of Samsung's handsets, including its Galaxy S 4G model, infringed Apple's design patents for the look of its iPhone including the system it uses to display text and icons.

The electronics giant was also found guilty of copying Apple's 'bounce-back response' and the company's touch zoom feature.

"It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," Samsung says.

"It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies.

"Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products.

"This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims.

"Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer."

While Samsung bemoaned the loss of the biggest patent infringement lawsuit in U.S. history, naturally Apple praised the court for 'sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right.'

"The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung's copying went far deeper than even we knew," Apple says.

As both sides consider their next move in the case, Judge Lucky Koh has called a hearing for two weeks – to decide whether to grant injunctions preventing Samsung selling the products in question.

A hearing was scheduled for September 20.

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