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NYTimes reports on the responses from Apple and Samsung about today's patent verdict which found largely in favor of Apple and resulted in an over $1 billion verdict against Samsung.
Apple's spokesperson Katie Cotton:
We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.
Samsung issued this statement:
Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.
The jury found that Samsung owes Apple $1.05 billion in damages for willfully infringing on Apple's intellectual property.
Top Rated Comments
Today's verdict… will lead to fewer choices [and] less innovation….
This doesn't make sense to me. Because companies like Samsung and Google cannot use these patents, will it not lead to more innovation, and more choices?Will this not force these companies to find different ways of implementing the general concepts that Apple's specific patents cover?
These people say it well:
[Samsung is] probably going "Oh no! Now we have to innovate by thinking of our OWN ideas?"
They were accused of copying, which is by definition the complete lack of innovation.
How could copying lead to more choices and further innovation?
Sounds like Steve would've let this happen.
If anything this is going to create more innovation and is a win for consumers. Just goes to show Samsung doesn't know what it means to innovate. They are probably going "Oh no! Now we have to innovate by thinking of our OWN ideas??? What has the world come to??"
What put me on Apple's side was the Samsung document which outlined all the features that are "better" on iPhone and then described how they must try to implement those features into the Galaxy S.
Apple Wins - Apple's Lawyers Win, More Lawsuits, Consumers will eventually lose with less smartphone choices in the market.
Samsung Wins - Apple's Lawyers Lose, Consumers can continue to have the status quo, Apple still is wining regardless.
Everyone copies each other. There patents for some things are unwarranted. This case should have been dismissed entirely.