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Ironic that Apple's design language with huge bezels is now considered ugly and stale. And, iPhones are looking more like Galaxy phablets that Samsung popularize.
 
If Samsung had launched an MP3 player with a click wheel, simple UI, white earbuds and 'S-tunes' etc in 2005 would you also argue that 'so they took some design cues, no big deal...'?

Look into what smartphones were pre iPhone, what iPhone introduced and what the Galaxy range was. To add insult to injury, Samsung often insult Apple *users* in their ads.
You're arguing points that have nothing to do with the case. This case is about calculating damages. Full device vs component. This case is not about whether Samsung violated Apple's patents. That has been resolved. I've said it plenty of times before, Apple does not want to win this case. It's bad for them and bad for the tech industry as a whole.
 
If Samsung had launched an MP3 player with a click wheel, simple UI, white earbuds and 'S-tunes' etc in 2005 would you also argue that 'so they took some design cues, no big deal...'?

No. The click wheel was 50% of what the iPod was. It was something unique that Apple made and only Apple used.

A touch screen isn't like the click wheel. It's something common and obvious. Plenty of devices before the iPhone had touch screens. Apple isn't arguing that the touch screen is what was copied.

Apple argued that having a grid of colorful icons on a black background is what was copied. I don't think that's specific enough to patent or trademark... plus it's kind of obvious. Grids of icons have existed since the dawn of the GUI. I wouldn't be too surprised if you can find an analog from before GUIs even existed - Arthur C Clark was able to describe the iPad in his book 2001 which he wrote in 1968.
 
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This always struck me as an absurd case.

Did Samsung take some design cues from Apple? Of course they did. They didn't blatantly copy anything, though. It's easy to tell that the two devices are not the same device. Almost nobody mistakenly bought a Samsung phone thinking it was an iPhone.

That's really the only way Apple could prove damages. If they found actual customers who went into the store with a desire to buy, not just any smartphone, but specifically an iPhone, and mistakenly bought a Samsung phone instead. Maybe somewhere under 1% of people did that - maybe Samsung should pay Apple $4M for that. It's absurd to think that all of Samsung's revenue from their phones should go to Apple, though.

Samsung took SOME "Design Cues"?!?!? Hahahahahahaaaa!

SOME Design Cues?!?!?

http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/17/technology/apple-samsung/

For those too lazy to link the above. You tell ME exactly WHICH "Design Cues" Samsung DIDN'T Take:

120828072118-apple-samsung-patent-suit-tablet-large.jpg


And it continues to this day:

Look at the images in this Review:

http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s7-vs-apple-iphone-7-719775/
 
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This always struck me as an absurd case.

Did Samsung take some design cues from Apple? Of course they did. They didn't blatantly copy anything, though. It's easy to tell that the two devices are not the same device. Almost nobody mistakenly bought a Samsung phone thinking it was an iPhone.

That's really the only way Apple could prove damages. If they found actual customers who went into the store with a desire to buy, not just any smartphone, but specifically an iPhone, and mistakenly bought a Samsung phone instead. Maybe somewhere under 1% of people did that - maybe Samsung should pay Apple $4M for that. It's absurd to think that all of Samsung's revenue from their phones should go to Apple, though.

Actually early on Samsung took a lot more than just cues for the iPhone. By using the same dimensions, icon shapes, icon colors,icon design, external hardware materials and more they essentially made an iPhone clone. This was proven in court so much so that they 1) did a test with the screens off and most people couldn't tell the difference between the phones and 2) during a survey most people picked the Samsung phone because it looked like the iPhone. So you can't say it's easy to tell difference unless you are less than 3ft away and are very familiar with what each phone looks like on or off.
 
Samsung's lowly, cowardly and gross behavior here may pay off. Refusal to admit and accept they copy almost everything the iPhone does might have its perks now. Way to reward cheating and copying, USA.
 
Really? This kind of comment is just so limited. Do you know how many Samsung components are in Apple products? Talking about minor things such as SSDs or displays, for example. How about outstanding OLED screens that Samsung phones sport, and that Apple still has to deliver? How about Gear VR, where is the leading Apple? Oh, maybe it's in the pipeline. I used not to like Samsung products, but some are just excellent.
A few years ago, Samsung, who is one of the few actual OEMs of LCDs and OLED Displays, put a TON of money into OLED (and AMOLED) research, and somewhat solved some longevity and yield problems that the industry was having with OLEDs. For that, they deserve a lot of credit.

However, they effectively withheld that technology from people like Apple (actually, they priced it out-of-the-running in comparison with their, and others' LCD panels). So Samsung phones (which could purchase Samsung's AMOLED Displays at whatever rate Samsung wanted to charge Samsung for them), enjoyed AMOLED Displays, while basically everyone else, including Apple, had to keep purchasing LCDs (or try to find an alternate source. Good luck with that!).

This was not a case of "Apple failed to deliver". Samsung just had a multi-year R&D jump on everyone else in the AMOLED world, and took full advantage of that.
 
Samsung's lowly, cowardly and gross behavior here may pay off. Refusal to admit and accept they copy almost everything the iPhone does might have its perks now. Way to reward cheating and copying, USA.
I'm going to assume 3 things. 1. You didn't read the article. 2. You're clueless as to what this case is about. 3. You never let facts get in the way of a good story.
 
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Complex... Yes, the amount of mimicry on Samsung's part is truly absurd, but at the same time, how many different shapes can a Phone realistically take? Should they have produced a round phone? Triangular? Should the corners have had a slightly different radius?

If Apple wanted to properly "reward" Samsung for the early obvious-copy models, then Apple should have already been working to secure other sources for every single component of their products. Give Samsung no business now, and none in the future. As long as Apple continues to use components produced by Samsung the whole thing is kind of ludicrous.
They HAVE worked REALLY hard to get out from under Samsung's component-thumb. That's why, for example, TSMC started sharing the SoC "fab" duties.

It's just that, manufacturing makes strange bedfellows. No one is immune from that.
 
A few years ago, Samsung, who is one of the few actual OEMs of LCDs and OLED Displays, put a TON of money into OLED (and AMOLED) research, and somewhat solved some longevity and yield problems that the industry was having with OLEDs. For that, they deserve a lot of credit.

However, they effectively withheld that technology from people like Apple (actually, they priced it out-of-the-running in comparison with their, and others' LCD panels). So Samsung phones (which could purchase Samsung's AMOLED Displays at whatever rate Samsung wanted to charge Samsung for them), enjoyed AMOLED Displays, while basically everyone else, including Apple, had to keep purchasing LCDs (or try to find an alternate source. Good luck with that!).

This was not a case of "Apple failed to deliver". Samsung just had a multi-year R&D jump on everyone else in the AMOLED world, and took full advantage of that.
The good thing about that? There are competing companies like LG make OLED screens. Not that I agree with your assessment, but based on it's premise, Samsung shot themselves in the foot. They had to burn all the R&D money to improve OLED and other companies got to come along after the product improved and add further improvements.
 
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per Curiam means (not literally) "less than the whole Court". IOW, only some of the Judges participated.

No, it means of the Court. It can be a unanimous decision, a 5-4 decision, or a 3-2 decision where only some Justices participate. It just means the opinion is written by the court and who actually authored the decision is not published.
 
Hahahahahaha... I knew this would happen, I'm glad it went to the Supreme Court not least to shut up all the people on here that slam Samsung at every given opportunity and never ever complain about Apple, and then went on the state this case would NEVER be heard by the Supreme court.
People seem to fail to see this how business is done, you come up with a complete bogus reason to sue the competition out of existence because it's cheaper then competing with them.

I hope Apple gets even more egg on its face now!
 
Lots of comments seem to be off base here (not going to read them all though). Here's a summary of this decision...

The supreme court has held that infringing a design patent does not AUTOMATICALLY mean that the party infringing is liable to the extent of all profits on the infringing item, there may be a partial profit solution based upon specific infringing components. This means that Apple MAY or MAY NOT still be entitled to the full judgement. SCOTUS did not speak to whether the potential for partial profit solution applies to this specific case but instead referred it back to the lower court.

So, Samsung gets a chance to further litigate with the POSSIBILITY of lowering the judgement, there is no guarantee that will happen. The lower court will need to construct some form of test for component based infringement as opposed to full device. Regardless of what the lower court decides that test should be I'd expect the part who comes out on the losing end of that will then attempt to further litigate the methodology of the test.
 
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wow 8-0 decision? in overall avg there aren't many case in the history of supreme court has an all in favor of one party. 99 percent of the cases has a decision around 5-4 but damn 8-0?

Sorry, but You are completely wrong. Not even close. Nearly half of ALL Supreme Court decisions are 9-0 (8 now because Scalia has not been replaced). Approximately 20% are 5-4 splits.

Try to do a little research before spouting stats.
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/SB_votesplit_OT15.pdf
 
This always struck me as an absurd case.

Did Samsung take some design cues from Apple? Of course they did. They didn't blatantly copy anything, though. It's easy to tell that the two devices are not the same device. Almost nobody mistakenly bought a Samsung phone thinking it was an iPhone.

That's really the only way Apple could prove damages. If they found actual customers who went into the store with a desire to buy, not just any smartphone, but specifically an iPhone, and mistakenly bought a Samsung phone instead. Maybe somewhere under 1% of people did that - maybe Samsung should pay Apple $4M for that. It's absurd to think that all of Samsung's revenue from their phones should go to Apple, though.

You misunderstand the point of law here. This is not a trademark dispute, it is a design patent. Design patent infringement doesn't have any requirement that consumers be confused. I think you've conflated the two concepts.
 
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No, it means of the Court. It can be a unanimous decision, a 5-4 decision, or a 3-2 decision where only some Justices participate. It just means the opinion is written by the court and who actually authored the decision is not published.
You're right. Not thinking.

I was thinking of en Banc, duh!
 
wow 8-0 decision? in overall avg there aren't many case in the history of supreme court has an all in favor of one party. 99 percent of the cases has a decision around 5-4 but damn 8-0?

Actually a unanimous opinion (i.e. 9-0 or 8-0 on the current Court) is the most common result. In some years, the majority (i.e. more than 50%) of all SC decisions are unanimous.

See:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...014_why_are_most_cases_either_9_0_or_5_4.html

http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/SB_unanimity_OT15.pdf
 
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