Apple Awarded Over $1bn In Samsung Case

Apple won a major legal victory against Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday after a California jury ruled that the Korean manufacturer had infringed on six of Apple’s patents, and awarded $1.05 billion in damages to the iPhone and iPad maker.

The verdict came after less than three days of jury deliberations; the award is considered one of the largest intellectual property amounts ever given.

Samsung, which plans to appeal the verdict, said that the decision would limit options for consumers.

“Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer,” the company said in a statement following the verdict.

“It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices.”

Apple and Samsung had accused each other of infringing on software patents. However, the jury ruled that Samsung had infringed on software features like double-tap zooming and scrolling.

The iPhone maker said that it will request an injunction against the Samsung devices that infringed its patents within seven days.

Apple, which became the world’s most valuable public company ever last week, is currently facing tough competition from Android devices.

Android amassed a 68.1 per cent market share of all smartphones shipped during the second quarter of the year, according to a recent report by the International Data Corporation (IDC). Within that Samsung accounted for 44 per cent of all Android smartphones shipped during the period.

Meanwhile, although Apple’s iOS posted double-digit growth during the quarter, it only accounted for around 17 per cent of the overall smartphone market.