Appeals Court Overturns Apple’s $120 Million Patent Win Against Samsung

The US Court of Appeals has overturned a 2014 verdict of a California federal court that awarded Apple $119.6 million in damage in a patent case against Samsung. In fact, the court found that Apple was the one that infringed a Samsung patent.

In 2014, Apple claimed that Samsung infringed on its “quick links” patent, in addition to a couple more patents that concerns the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock and auto-correct features. The quick links feature allows devices to detect certain kinds of data like phone numbers and show them as clickable links. For example, you someone send you a SMS with phone number, then the phone will detect it and show it as a link. On clicking the link, user will get option to call them or store the number to a contact. A California federal court gave verdict in 2014 that Samsung needs to pay $119.6 million in damage to Apple.

Samsung appealed the case and a three-judge appeals panel decided that the original court had improperly defined a key term in the patents, thus invalidating the 2014 jury verdict and damages. In an interesting turn of events, the court also found that Apple infringed a minor Samsung patent, for which it awarded Samsung $158,400. The court also found that the slide-to-unlock and auto-correct patents were invalid. A Samsung spokesperson called this as a win for consumer choice, while Apple refused to comment.

Today’s decision is a win for consumer choice and puts competition back where it belongs – in the marketplace, not in the courtroom.

This case is one of the many Samsung vs Apple patent cases, but today’s verdict looks like a significant win in its longstanding patent feud with top rival Apple.

Source: Reuters