Samsung and Apple Settle Long-Running Design Patent Dispute

[PickUrPoison]

It seems a bit illogical to settle and still pay the award, no?

Samsung was in a better position to negotiate now, rather than after the judge turned down their appeal (which was nothing more than an attempt to save face after the damages were increased so dramatically after Samsung’s last trial).

Apple knows the appeal wasn’t likely to be granted, and could have sat back and waited for their $539 million.

If I had to guess, I’d put the settlement amount somewhere around $450 million.

 

[GregJohn]

Samsung is a joke. I’m assuming this means they settled on the 539 million that Samsung must now pay? Likely realizing going again they would owe a billion lol

 

[sshambles]

"Steve Jobs would never ..."

Truth.

Definitely a time this quote is applicable.

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

The two companies probably realized the lawyers were milking both companies by dragging this out by so long. Now a massive exodus of the legal team on both sides...

 

[nylon]

No shortage of illogical comments today.
It seems a bit illogical to settle and still pay the award, no?

Not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that Apple settled for no damages after being awarded a large judgement? More likely Samsung realized that after numerous attempts that they are not going to win. Most likely they came to an agreement with Apple for a substantial sum. That would be the logical outcome.

 

[TimmeyCook]

Apple lost because Samsung shouldn't be paying 500 million, they should be paying multiples of that.

Specially Google, who stole the iPhone project.

 

[tridley68]

Hope Samsung has learned not to copy ideas anymore but I'm sure that they haven't.

 

[PickUrPoison]

How does that make a difference? One increases gross revenue, the other decreases COGS. The net (i.e., taxable) income is exactly the same.

And if Samsung doesn't collect $500 million on component sales how is that a non-cash expense? They either pay the cash or don't collect the cash. The net result on their cash flow and balance sheet is the same.

If Apple would accept a credit toward future component sales it would be priced at Samsung’s cost, not their normal selling price which includes profit.

It may take $700 million in components credit to cover an already-due $500 million liability.

 

[cube]

WC diplomacy.

 

[bollman]

It is only gassy/fizzy beer that is in short supply. Proper hand pumped beer is readily available. Just popping out for a Pint of Harvey's Best Bitter to celbrate Germany getting dumped out of the World Cup.

And I'm from one of the countries that made it happen! Cheers!

 

[cube]

And I'm from one of the countries that made it happen! Cheers!

I'm sorry, but Mexico and Korea made it happen.

 

[gstevie]

Finally it ends. Samsung and Apple are best buddies after all. 2 out of 3 iPhone screens to be made this year will be powered by Samsung. I bet Samsung threatened Apple to raise prices on their parts.

I bet they didn’t.

 

[bollman]

I'm sorry, but Mexico and Korea made it happen.

Since Sweden won 3-0 it didn't matter. Even if they had won 2-0 against Korea, they still would've been out. 3 goal win over Korea and Germany would've been in and Sweden out, but that wasn't even close...

 

[techwhiz]

Hope Samsung has learned not to copy ideas anymore but I'm sure that they haven't.

And Apple stole the initial concept from Xerox.
Yawn...

 

[cube]

Since Sweden won 3-0 it didn't matter. Even if they had won 2-0 against Korea, they still would've been out. 3 goal win over Korea and Germany would've been in and Sweden out, but that wasn't even close...

But Korea won.

However, you could have lost worse against Germany, and there's your contribution.

 

[mi7chy]

Hopefully, the settlement means a go for Apple to Xerox more of Samsung phablets and to be able to remove that ugly differentiating notch.

 

[rafark]

Really wonder who threatened whom...

 

[Guy Clark]

I very much doubt this is the last we will hear from it as Apple will continue to fight over scraps after all they are struggling financially

 

[usarioclave]

One thing that people have sort of overlooked: the court basically ruled that Samsung violated Apple's patents. That implies that Samsung is now licensing Apple's patents. How that's accounted for is unclear. I haven't looked at Apple's financials in a long time; is licensing revenue broken out somewhere?

That means that both Microsoft and Apple are reaping the benefits of Samsung's cellphone sales. Sometimes life is amusing.

 

[prasand]

I bet Samsung threatened Apple to raise prices on their parts.

I bet they didn’t.

lol, yeah. That seemed unrealistically fanboy-ish, as if Samsung is actually in a position of power. When there's no way they'd risk their biggest client. Apple uses multiple suppliers for power. Moving just a third of their orders, would significantly hurt Samsung.

 

[Solver]

After all these years, the lawyers win again

 

[kdarling]

One thing that people have sort of overlooked: the court basically ruled that Samsung violated Apple's patents. That implies that Samsung is now licensing Apple's patents.

No need.

One of the things that patent infringement trials often result in, are companies switching to non-infringing workarounds.

That's what Samsung did. Likewise, Apple usually tries to do the same with the patents they themselves are found to infringe.

 

[sipodjr]

And so it Ends.....

 

[Feenician]

Weird how many people in this thread have concluded who "won" when exactly no-one other than Samsung, Apple and their counsel know (yet, at least) what the settlement actually was.

 

[tooltalk]

For Samsung, this was a battle that couldn't be won. This also sets terrible legal precedence as well -- wonder what design patent trolls are going to look like now.