When Apple's lawyers accused Samsung of patent infringement last year, many technology experts mused on what it would mean for Silicon Valley if the iPhone maker won. On Friday a federal judge declared that Samsung Electronic Co. stole Apple's technology to make and market smartphones, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Barring the Korean company's right to appeal, this verdict may mean a decline in technology innovation simply because smaller companies may not want to tangle with Apple.
That's if the verdict stands. Samsung, the Seoul-based global leader among smartphone makers, vowed to fight. Its lawyers told the judge it intended to ask her to toss out the verdict.
"This decision should not be allowed to stand because it would discourage innovation and limit the rights of consumers to make choices for themselves," Samsung lead lawyer John Quinn said. He argued that the judge or an appeals court should overturn the verdict.
Apple lawyers plan to formally demand Samsung pull its most popular cellphones and computer tablets from the U.S. market. They also can ask the judge to triple the damages from $1.05 billion to $3 billion …
Apple Inc. filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged the country's highest-paid patent lawyers to demand $2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million.
Read more at the Christian Science Monitor.