Samsung has one more chance to trim the damages of more than $548 million awarded to Apple for infringing its design patents. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Samsung’s appeal regarding what the South Korean manufacturer contends are excessive penalties.
As detailed by Reuters, Samsung apparently seeks to claw back the $399 million awarded for violating the designs of the iPhone’s rounded-corner front face, bezel and colourful grid of icons, claiming they contributed only marginally to a complex device.
Florian Müller of Foss Patents highlights that Apple wanted to avoid this because one of its design patents at issue in the case, the D’677 patent, has been declared invalid by the Central Reexamination Division of the USPTO. The investigation is currently ongoing, but if affirmed, Apple runs the risk of losing more money from the damages awarded.
Samsung’s petition was supported by various tech companies, including Google and Facebook, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief, saying that the Federal Court’s decision will stifle innovation, and will ignite more patent lawsuits.
