Apple Vs Samsung: The War over Patents

Apple Vs Samsung: The War over Patents

Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have been involved in several patent disputes lately. They have been suing each other in courts and trade offices across the globe. The dispute is over patented mobile device features. The ongoing tussle between the two corporate giants has been attracting a fair share of media attention.

Their recent legal duel ended when a jury in California found Samsung had copied some of the features of Apple’s Smartphones. It was also concluded by the panel that Apple had illegally used several of Samsung’s patents in creating iPhones 4 and 5.

The California jury awarded Samsung approximately $158,400 million. Apple Inc was awarded a lesser sum of $119 million. The money awarded to Apple was 2.2 less than that which was sought by the company. Jurors are debating minor issues regarding the case.

The specific patents over which the disputes were formed include the following. Patent 5,946.647 is a system and method for the performance of action on a structure within computer generated data. This patented technology is used for the display of pop-up menu of options. What this technology does is that it provides a prompt of options once a phone number is highlighted on the touch-screen. For this particular patented technology, the jury found that Apple had provided evidence that Samsung had infringed on the patent in the case of several mobile phone devices including Stratosphere and Galaxy S III.

Patent 6.847,959 was a universal interface for retrieval of information within a computer system. This patent involves a process that can be likened to the function of a search engine. The mobile devices are able to access information from various locations while listing relevant data for the user. A feature of this patent is a graphic interface displaying the “Go-To” menu option in the window for the text input. However, the jury did not rule in favour of Apple Inc which had failed to prove Samsung infringed on the patent.

Patent 7,761,414 was also a subject of a dispute between the two leading companies. This patented technology facilitates synchronization of asynchronous data among devices. It means that the patent is used to synchronize data across mobile devices as well as computers. With respect to a Smartphone, this involves synchronizing address books on the phone with online storage. The jury again voted in favour of Samsung that it did not infringe on Apple Inc’s patent.

Patent 8,046,721 was another patented technology that formed the basis of a dispute between the two companies. Using this technology, devices can be unlocked by performing gestures on an unlock message. This patent involves controlling an electronic device with touch-sensitive display. Samsung was charged with having infringed the feature of this patent that controls the swipe and unlock features on iPhones. Apple Inc had presented that Samsung devices such as Admire and Stratosphere had violated the patents. The panel rejected claims pertaining to certain phones such as the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch and Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

Patent 5,579,239 is a technology used for remote video transmission system. Samsung’s patent is for the digitization, compression and transmission for audio and visual signals and reversing the process for broadcast. Apple was found to have not infringed on the Samsung’s patent specifically the part where it covers transmitting video in real time over a certain cellular frequency.

Several other patents formed the subject of the disputes between Apple Inc and Samsung. With changes in technology, crossing the boundaries of each other has become almost unavoidable. Consumers have become more oriented towards getting the best value for their money. Companies are now under pressure to perform their best. However, infringement of patented technology has also become a subject of conflict. Companies are now walking the tightrope as new technologies share many similar features and it often becomes difficult to find out who copied whom. In such a scenario, the jury’s discretion is absolute. Companies can only respect this and move on, even as the next war over patented technology builds up.