Apple v. Samsung: Good for Apple, Bad for Consumers?
Excerpt:
After the verdict, Apple's lawyers said they will file for a sales injunction against Samsung within the next seven days. The judge in the case set a Sept. 20 hearing on the proposed injunction.
Brian Love, a Santa Clara law school professor, described it as a crushing victory for Apple: "This is the best-case scenario Apple could have hoped for."
In a statement after the verdict, Apple said, "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 ... We applaud the court for finding Samsung's behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right."
Samsung also issued a post-verdict statement, saying, "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 ... 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."Apple's Victory Sends Fear Through Android Ecosystem
Excerpt:
The San Jose, Calif., jury's decision reinforces the Silicon Valley giant's status as the most powerful player in the mobile industry. For other companies, from wireless carriers to hardware manufacturers, that reinforcement may come as unwelcome news. .
.. Friday's verdict may provide a new boost to Microsoft's effort as it seeks to win support from carriers and device manufacturers.
The future of the Android ecosystem is now tinged with uncertainty, with other Android hardware and software designs seen to be vulnerable to lawsuits. "It's got to create some concern for that ecosystem," Baird analyst William Power said. "The legal risks are bound to make a manufacturer think twice."
Microsoft's software, on the other hand, uses an interface of "tiles" that's markedly different from the icon-based concepts in the iPhone and Android. "It is clear that Microsoft has a very different vision for how consumers should be using these devices than Apple did," said Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart. "So if using Android and being sued by Apple and losing is cost-prohibitive, then it actually could push people into Microsoft's camp."Comment: I was surprised by the verdict. I could say I am happy because I am an Apple stockholder but as my readers know I only have 1 share! I find it hard to comprehend that Microsoft can compete with Apple in the Smartphone market but time will tell. Meanwhile Rimm is effectively dead! Image is from Yahoo Finance article
Interesting follow-on article: Samsung Loses Strategic Gamble in U.S.:
ReplyDeleteBut the damage amount represents a lost gamble by Samsung executives, who, trial testimony revealed, rejected an offer by Apple in 2010 to license smartphone and tablet PC patents for a royalty fee of $24 per unit.
Based on the 21.3 million smartphones and 1.4 million tablet PCs Samsung has sold in the U.S. that infringed the Apple patents, the South Korean company would have paid $681 million to Apple so far had it accepted the licensing offer.