Reports say that The jury foreman in Apple’s legal victory over Samsung has a patent in his own name for a device that could be used in mobile devices. This could put the jury’s decision for Apple in peril.
Velvin Hogan reportedly filed documents with the US Patent Office in 2002 for the ‘method and apparatus for recording and storing video information’. This also included technology for a wireless keyboard to allow users to surf the web and order films on demand, a feature, which is already available on Apple iPads.
The Daily Mail says today that the disclosure could raise a conflict of interest, as it isn’t clear if the patent has ever been bought or used by any of the tech companies.
While it’s unknown if Hogan’s patent has ever been seen or used by either Apple or Samsung, but if he had a bias toward Apple, it could have had an influence on the jury’s decision. Hogan reportedly played a crucial role in the jury’s decision against Samsung in the civil trial.
According to reports, Hogan shared what he called his “aha! moment” with the other jurors. Explaining he realized there was no way to defend Samsung’s claims.
The following day the jury announced their verdict, siding with Apple, and awarding $1.05 billion in damages.
