Supreme Court steps into Apple Vs Samsung Case
I still remember when the first iPhone was released. I was very happy with my Nokia N5 at the time, and had been using Nokia phones for years. I couldn’t understand what the fuss was over the iPhone, but then again, I never had been an Apple fan.
Then of course, the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, was released in October 2008 and the battle was on.
A lot has changed since, Nokia’s disappeared from the handset business, and Android has grown to dominate sales with a market share of over 80%.
Blackberry and Windows barely rate, while the iPhone had just under 14% of the market in the 2nd quarter of 2015.
I am using a Samsung Galaxy S4 at present (well, I’m struggling along with an S4 while I seriously covet the Galaxy S7).
Since 2011, Apple and Samsung have been involved a number of legal cases in different countries over design patents, and in December 2015 Samsung asked the US supreme court to consider the case.
The action moves to the Supreme Court
On March 21, 2016, it was announced that the US supreme court would here the case in October.
Apple had resisted the move to the high court, saying that Samsung’s case was “unexceptional”.
I for one will be watching this case closely.
One reason being that this is the first time that the court has heard a patent case since the 1800s.
Another is that it could affect things such as costs and innovation into the future.
This is a Goliath Vs Goliath fight!
Who ever wins, it’s going to affect the consumer in the end.
Many take the view that if Apple wins, innovation is the loser, because manufacturers will be wary of claims against them if they try and improve a concept.
Others might say that if Samsung wins, it means that patent holders are at risk of having their rights infringed in future.
But are things such as colors, rounded corners and so on worthy of being included in patents?
Will a win for Apple spark an increase in the number of patent trolls?
What do you think?
Cnet.com has a detailed report of the latest moves.
You can find it here!
A more complete history of the cases can be found here!