Phil Schiller Called Into Court Again by Samsung lawyers

Phil Schiller will be under fire again by Samsung’s lawyers for another three long hours. At stake this time is Apple’s pursuit of a ban on some of the Samsung products the jury found infringing on Apple’s patents.

During the “trial of the twenty-first century”, high-level personnel like Phil Schiller and (back then head of iOS) Scott Forstall, were questioned by Samsung’s lawyers. US magistrate judge Paul S. Grewal granted Samsung another opportunity to ask questions directly from Phil Schiller to clear up his comments supporting the injunction.

As Samsung’s lawyers pointed out, Schiller’s comments — made in a court document — like “Samsung created the Galaxy line of products to present a unified brand for consumers”, were “new or in conflict with his testimony at trial” and they sought to question Apple’s head of worldwide marketing.

The US District Court for the Northern District of California, ordered that both companies make available a number of expert witnesses to lawyers, although it named only Phil Schiller on the witness list.

As a reply, Apple asked for clarification, citing that Schiller spoke at the trial as a fact witness not an expert witness.

But the judge wasn’t in a humorous mood today when he replied:

“Clarification of the court’s October 29 order is what Apple wants, and so clarification Apple shall get. No later than November 5, 2012, Mr. Schiller shall appear for three hours of deposition. It is so ordered,” he wrote.

It remains to be seen whether Samsung can turn the three hours they will have with Schiller into an advantage or not.

[Via The Verge, Computerworld]