Samsung and Apple Settle Long-Running Design Patent Dispute

Apple and Samsung have settled an ongoing legal battle that has spanned seven years, according to court documents filed with the Northern District Court of California this morning.

In the document, Apple and Samsung said they have agreed to drop and settle the remaining claims and counter claims in the design patent legal battle that saw them back in court in May.

applevsamsung
The terms of the settlement were not included in the court document, but Samsung had been ordered by the jury to pay Apple $539 million following the May damages retrial.

Plaintiff Apple Inc. and Defendants Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC would like to inform the Court that they have agreed to drop and settle their remaining claims and counterclaims in this matter.

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and between the parties and subject to the approval of the Court, that pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 41(a) and 41(c), all remaining claims and counterclaims in this action are hereby dismissed with prejudice, to the extent such are still pending, and all parties shall bear their own attorneys' fees and costs.

Apple and Samsung's legal dispute has been ongoing since 2011, when Apple sued Samsung for violating Apple design patents with five Android devices sold between 2010 and 2011.

Samsung was found guilty of infringing on Apple's patents back in 2012, but the two companies have spent the last six years duking it out over the total amount Samsung owes Apple for the violation.

apple v samsung 2011
Samsung has vehemently argued that it should have to pay damages only for the portion of the iPhone's design that it copied, while Apple has continually asked for a payment based on the full value of the iPhone.

The court in May largely sided with Apple, ordering Samsung to pay $539 million, a decision Samsung was not happy with because it was over the $399 million Samsung had originally gotten the payment down to following multiple appeals, and more than the $28 million it insisted it owed. The South Korean company filed an another appeal demanding a new trial on June 11, but has now dropped all appeals since a settlement has been reached.

Apple declined to comment directly on the settlement, referring MacRumors back to the company's statement following the May verdict.

We believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers. This case has always been about more than money. Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple.


Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
fortnite apple featured

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Friday May 9, 2025 9:57 am PDT by
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020. Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
90 months ago
Dang! I figured the kids I've been raising since this thing started would have time to grow up, go to law school and work on this case someday.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nibfiledotcom Avatar
90 months ago
Related Story: "Apple now 100% powered by harnessing the energy from Steve Jobs spinning in his grave."
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
90 months ago
Did I just wake up in an alternate reality?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
usarioclave Avatar
90 months ago
I wonder if Apple got a credit against its parts bill instead of the judgement. A credit would be non-taxable for apple and a non-cash expense for Samsung, which would be a win-win.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
90 months ago
REPENT SINNERS, FOR THE END IS NIGH!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
morcutt11 Avatar
90 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/27/apple-samsung-patent-dispute-settled/')


Apple and Samsung have settled an ongoing legal battle that has spanned seven years ('https://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/24/jury-reaches-verdict-in-apple-vs-samsung-trial/'), according to court documents filed with the Northern District Court of California this morning.

In the document, Apple and Samsung said they have agreed to drop and settle the remaining claims and counter claims in the design patent legal battle that saw them back in court in May.



The terms of the settlement were not included in the court document, but Samsung had been ordered by the jury to pay $539 millionApple and Samsung's legal dispute has been ongoing since 2011, when Apple sued Samsung for violating Apple design patents ('https://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/24/jury-reaches-verdict-in-apple-vs-samsung-trial/') with five android devices sold between 2010 and 2011.

Samsung was found guilty of infringing on Apple patents back in 2012, but the two companies have spent the last six years duking it out over the total amount Samsung owes Apple for the violation.



Samsung has argued vehemently that it should have had to pay damages only for the portion of the iPhone's design that it copied, while Apple has continually asked for a payment based on the full value of the iPhone.

The court in May largely sided with Apple, ordering Samsung to pay $539 million ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/24/samsung-owes-apple-539m-patent-violation/'), a decision Samsung was not happy with. The South Korean company filed an appeal demanding a new trial on June 11, but has now dropped all appeals since a settlement has been reached.

Article Link: Samsung and Apple Settle Long-Running Design Patent Dispute ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/27/apple-samsung-patent-dispute-settled/')
[doublepost=1530125137][/doublepost]And so it has ended...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)