Samsung will take Apple patent case to US Supreme Court

fine and gavel

Following the announcement that Samsung would pay Apple $548m (362m) in damages, the company has appealed to the Supreme Court to consider its patent dispute with Apple.

As reported by SamMobile, Samsung believes that the design patent laws surrounding the case are outdated and thus not relevant to modern-day cases involving smartphones etc., and hopes the previous verdict will be set aside as a result.

The $548m that Samsung previously agreed to pay Apple went some way to settle the patent dispute that has been going through courts for the last four years.

This initial $548m was to pay off Apple for technology patents Samsung infringed, as found by a jury three years ago.

A further $382m will be owed on a later date if Apple is successful in its claim that Samsung also copied the packaging of its devices, but a jury will decide upon these damages next year.

Samsung said at the time that it reserves the right to get a refund on its payment if it's revealed later on that actually, Samsung wasn't liable to pay damages.

"Samsung continues to reserve all rights to obtain reimbursement from Apple and/or payment by Apple of all amounts required to be paid as taxes," Samsung wrote in its part of the filing.

"Samsung further reserves all rights to reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid by Samsung to any entity in the event the partial judgment is reversed, modified, vacated or set aside on appeal or otherwise, including as a result of any proceedings before the USPTO addressing the patents at issue or as a result of any petition for writ of certiorari filed with the Supreme Court."

For its part, Apple said it "disputes Samsung's asserted rights to reimbursement".

In the meantime, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will continue to review of some the patents Apple claims Samsung unlawfully used in its products, while Samsung has said it will appeal to the US Supreme Court to review the damages, which could lead to a complete retrial.

Caroline Preece

Caroline has been writing about technology for more than a decade, switching between consumer smart home news and reviews and in-depth B2B industry coverage. In addition to her work for IT Pro and Cloud Pro, she has contributed to a number of titles including Expert Reviews, TechRadar, The Week and many more. She is currently the smart home editor across Future Publishing's homes titles.

You can get in touch with Caroline via email at caroline.preece@futurenet.com.