Apple and Samsung have had quite the battle going on. With various patent disputes from Apple themselves, there’s no sign of this battle ending anytime soon, though a trial that starts today in the US could change things quite dramatically. The Apple vs Samsung trial starts today in a San Jose federal court and the two are expected to battle it out over the next month.
Jury selection will be started today and it’ll be that same jury that determines the fate of both companies. Apple is no stranger to patent infringement cases as they’ve been going after several manufacturers of Android devices for a while now. They happen to hold some very valuable patents, patents that are very generic, yet somehow slipped through the cracks of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and were approved.
While it’s very easy to blame Apple for going after manufacturers with a vengeance, one must also understand that it’s not just them to blame, but the USPTO and the corrupt patent system that is clearly in need of reform. Worth noting that all the jurors are coming from Silicon Valley, Apple’s stomping grounds.
In this trial, Apple will set out to prove that Samsung knew they were copying the iPhone and iPad, including proving that Google and other companies warned them to not copy Apple in the first place. Secondly, while they’d prefer injunctions, they’re asking $2.525 billion in damages and royalties from Samsung.
As far as what Samsung will be setting out to do, of course rebutting Apple’s claims, is also proving that they had their own touchscreen based designs well before the iPhone launched in 2007. Either way, this is sure to be a bumpy ride and we’ll be covering the trial as the case goes on.