The Supreme Court has taken Samsung’s side in a legal battle with Apple over patents. All eight Supreme Court justices agreed to undo an appeals court ruling that Samsung owed $399 million to Apple for stealing iPhone designs.
In the Court’s explanation of the decision, written by Sonia Sotomayor, it was argued that when a patent is violated in the making of a product the violator does not have to forfeit the entire profits for the sales of the product unless the entire product is in violation of patents. As Samsung was found to have used only a few of Apple’s designs, they’ll likely pay less than the $399 million decided by an appeals court. The case will continue in lower courts to hash out the amount the company owes.
Samsung has told Reuters that the landmark decision is a “victory for Samsung and for all those who promote creativity, innovation and fair competition in the marketplace.”
Other heavyweights of the digital world had backed Samsung’s case, saying that being forced to fork over profits on the sales of a whole product when only a few, possibly minor, patents were infringed upon would stifle creativity, according to CNET. The ruling makes it easier for companies and artists to innovate without worrying that they’ll lose all of their profits if they are found to have violated one or two small patents.
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Samsung had been found to have copied the Apple iPhone’s rounded-corner front face, bezel and colorful grid of icons that represent programs and applications.
