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Apple, Samsung take patent feud to courtâ€Ž

31 July 2012 15:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA-Economics. Apple, armed with partial victories in the battle to protect key patents related to its popular iPhone and iPad, faced off with rival Samsung in a landmark patent case in Silicon Valley on Monday, USA TODAY reported.

U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh presided over the San Jose courtroom as jury selection began. Last month, she awarded Apple a preliminary injunction that could force Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer from stores pending the outcome of the trial. Opening arguments could start as early as Tuesday.

In court documents, Apple alleges that its iPad and iPhone are being copied by Samsung and wants the products pulled from stores and the South Korean company to pay $2.5 billion in damages. Samsung, in its filings, calls Apple’s request for damages an "absurd windfall" at the expense of consumers, saying that iPhones run on its wireless technologies and, therefore, Apple should pay it royalties.

Samsung and other mobile-device makers, in part, serve as proxies for Google because they run on its Android mobile operating system software. Apple’s relationship with Google turned bitter when the late Steve Jobs learned that the search giant was coming out with its HTC Nexus smartphone. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt had been serving on Apple’s board but resigned.

The trial comes as Apple has scored five preliminary injunctions against Samsung, two against Motorola and two against HTC, he says.

Google is expected to be closely watching the case with lawyers all around the trial.

Apple is waging war about similarities in hardware design, software functions and packaging, according to court documents.

Apple’s key allegation against Samsung relates to an Apple patent that covers touch-based dragging of documents, as well as pinch-to-zoom and twist-to-rotate capabilities. Apple is also staking a claim on the tap-to-zoom function that makes text or images pop up larger. The company says Samsung infringes on its scrolling patent as well.

Consumers could notice some differences if mobile-device makers are forced to alter their products. Still, if Apple prevails, it wouldn’t be long before these companies would create technology workarounds, legal experts say. Samsung has already devised technology workarounds to keep some of its devices in the market.