Apple and Samsung respond to jury's decision in US infringement case
Apple and Samsung both issued statements in response to a California jury's decision that Samsung infringed upon Apple's patents. Apple won most, but not all of its claims, while Samsung lost all of its claims against Apple.
Apple's response from spokeswoman Katie Cotton was positive, according to a report in the New York Times Bits blog.
We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung's copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung's behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right.
Not surprisingly, Samsung said that the decision is "a loss for the American consumer." The company said this about the verdict in a statement reported by the Wall Street Journal:
"Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer."
As noted by AllThingsD and The Verge, this is only the beginning. Apple will file for an injunction and Samsung will likely appeal the verdict.
