Since my retirement is only around 10 years or so away, I may actually be writing about the Apple vs. Samsung iPhone patent trial for the rest of my career.
Lucy Koh, the judge who has been presiding over the case since it began in April 2011, has scheduled a five-day retrial between May 14 and May 18 of next year, according to court documents filed electronically on Wednesday.
Apple was initially awarded damages of nearly $1 billion, but a significant part of that decision was reversed in 2015, leaving Samsung owing “only” $548 million. That amount was later lowered to $399 million.
Koh had earlier ordered the two sides back to court for a new trial to determine whether the $399 million awarded to Apple in the case should stand, or whether an all-new new damages trial is required.
Apple had successfully sued Samsung for infringing on the patented design of the iPhone, including features such as the device’s rectangular front screen with rounded edges, and even the grid of colorful icons on a black Home screen.
Damages in the case were awarded based on the total profits Samsung received from the sale of infringing smartphones. Since then, Samsung has argued the damages should be a percentage based on the individual infringing components, not the entire device.
Appeals in the case reached the highest court in the land, with the Supreme Court recommending that the U.S. Court of Appeals reconsider the damages amount that Samsung owes. The new trial will be held in the U.S. District Court in Northern California, where it all began so many years ago.
