This Sounds Familiar: Samsung Owes Apple $290 Million in New Verdict

The verdict is in: Samsung owes Apple nearly a third of a billion dollars.

Last year, Samsung was ordered to pay the maker of the iPhone roughly a billion dollars for infringing upon the latter’s intellectual property (Apple had requested nearly three times the amount). Many of the complaints stem from design and software similarities between Samsung’s Android-powered smartphones and the iPhone. For a while, it was uncertain as to which way the original case would play out. Uncertain, that is, until Apple revealed internal Samsung memos showing willful intent to directly copy certain aspects of iOS and the smartphones it powers.

A later judge vacated $450 million of the original damage award. With this new figure, Samsung owes Apple right around $900 million.

Samsung made a number of last ditch efforts to avoid losing the most recent trial – requesting a mistrial (denied) and asking for a stay on the verdict (which, interestingly, has yet to be ruled upon). 

Apple originally requested $380 million in damages, based on over a hundred million in lost profits, two hundred million in Samsung profits, and an extra $35 million in patent royalties.

Samsung’s rebuttal stated that Apple should receive nothing in lost profits, $52.7 million based on Samsung’s profits, and less than thirty grand for patent royalties due to their, in Samsung’s words, limitations. Clearly the jury felt the proper response was somewhere in the middle, but much more closely aligned with Apple than with Samsung.

Despite this latest penalty, Samsung won’t be sending Apple a check just yet. Apple will have to defend against multiple appeals from Samung, as well as countersuit in 2014 – in addition to a secondary trial asking for damages based on even more Samsung products.

List of Samsung products that allegedly infringe upon Apple IP:

• Samsung Transform
• Samsung/Google Nexus S 4G
• Samsung Galaxy Tab
• Samsung Exhibit 4G
• Samsung Replenish
• Samsung Epic 4G
• Samsung Droid Charge
• Samsung Continuum
• Samsung Captivate
• Samsung Galaxy S II
• Samsung Infuse 4G
• Samsung Galaxy Indulge
• Samsung Gem
• Samsung Galaxy Prevail

via CNet