After being told by a U.S. District Court judge that they couldn’t introduce Steve Jobs’ “anti-Android” statements into court, they’ve asked the judge to limit references Apple can make about the Apple co-founder.
Harold McElhinny, a lawyer for Apple, told U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, yesterday that he plans to show jurors two slides of Jobs during opening statements in the case. The slides include one when Jobs announced the release of the iPhone in 2007 — an “announcement that went around the world,” the lawyer said.
“I don’t want to see an opening statement where jurors see 15 images of Steve Jobs,” Charles K. Verhoeven, a Samsung attorney, told Koh.
“Whether Mr. Jobs made a presentation is not relevant to their case” and excessive use of his image is “prejudicial to the jury,” Verhoeven said. “It shouldn’t be a popularity contest.”
The dispute over the use of the iconic computer pioneer came at the conclusion of arguments, and rulings over pretrial issues. Samsung and Apple, two of the world’s biggest electronic device makers, have accused each other of copying designs and technology.
“I’m not doing a complete prohibition of Steve Jobs, but it needs to be relevant,” Koh said. She said she wants to see the images Apple wants to display before issuing a final ruling.
The case is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., 12- cv-00630, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose).
