Facebook and Google are siding with Samsung in its Court battle with Apple

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On Tuesday, 11th October 2016, the Supreme Court heard the patent case between the two smartphone manufacturing giants, Apple and Samsung.  Apple accused Samsung of infringing its patents, and after years of legal battles, Samsung agreed to pay more than half a billion dollars in damages to Apple last year. However, the legal battle is far from over. Samsung could end up paying more than the amount they have agreed to pay if the court ruling goes Apple’s way. On the other hand, this could get Samsung an enormous chunk of money back if the ruling goes their way.

The ruling of this case could potentially affect the ferocity of patent trolls in the tech industry. This is because the eight-judge bench could give some opinions, likely to be of high significance vis-à-vis the value of product design. The world may finally see the end of a long-running legal battle between the world’s largest smartphone makers in the world. The final ruling is however expected sometime early next year. Both Samsung and Apple argued their cases and the US department of justice made a few comments on the case, but that was just a hearing, let’s just wait and see how this goes in 2017 when the ruling will be delivered.

How it all started

It all began in 2011 when Apple filed a patent design complaint against Samsung. The court ruled that Samsung had infringed apple’s utility and design patents the following year and ordered Samsung to pay a billion dollars in damages, a sum that was later reduced when Samsung filed an appeal with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Last week’s case focused on three design patents; the iPhone interface's grid of 16 icons, a front face with a bezel on the encircling rim and the black rectangular front face with rounded corners. Samsung is seeking to get the Supreme Court to overrule lower court’s ruling which required Samsung to pay Apple all the profits earned from the sale of the smartphones made using the allegedly copied designs.  

The arguments

Samsung

Apart from the design, a smartphone contains a whole set of other features that give it remarkable functionality. According to Samsung, it is, therefore, ridiculous to give Apple all the profits resulting from the sale of the smartphone. Samsung maintains that not all of the profits from its smartphones should comprise the damages; the amount paid to Apple should be limited to the revenues it made from the particular elements of its device that relied on Apple's patents.

Apple

On the other hand, on its part, Apple argues that the colourful graphical user interface, distinctive front face and in general, its innovative design is the reason behind the iPhone's explosive success. US design patents safeguard all these elements.

The patent act

This case is hinged on a key part of the patent act which states that any individual who uses a design protected under the US patents to any piece of manufacture is liable to the extent of their total profit. According to Samsung, the smartphone’s interfaces and screens are the only relevant pieces of manufacture, not the entire smartphone. The Korean manufacturer claims that it was not given a chance to argue this fact in the lower courts.  

Sides have been taken

This case has attracted other parties, and in the process, sides have formed. We have; academics, industry groups and other major tech companies lining on each side of the legal battle.

Who’s with Samsung?

Google, Facebook, HP, Red Hat, Motorola, eBay, Dell, industry groups such as the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), public advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Knowledge and a host of other Silicon Valley giants are all behind Samsung. These companies want the Supreme Court to overrule last year’s ruling that obligated Samsung to pay 968 million US dollars to Apple. They argue that the ruling is a gross misinterpretation of the patents act, a doctrine written in the 1840s, long before the world invented smartphones and computers. The tech companies further argue that if the ruling stands, the industry could face stymie innovation and hampered innovation from the resultant frivolous lawsuits.

Who’s with apple?

About a hundred educators and designers support Apple. These companies are the major designers in the tech industry and have offered their services to most tech companies including Samsung and Apple.

So what happens after the ruling?

The Samsung vs. Apple patents case ruling will affect how design patents disputes will be handled in the future but are unlikely to have any impact on consumers. If Apple wins, Samsung will have no choice but to pay up the entire amount. On the other hand, if Samsung wins, it would mean that Samsung owes Apple less money and the lower courts would be left to decide on the final amount.

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