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Apple, Samsung Settle After Fighting Seven Years in Court (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the done-deal dept.

Apple and Samsung reached a settlement in their U.S. patent battle, putting an end to a seven-year fight over smartphone designs. From a report: The string of lawsuits started in 2011 when Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying the design of the iPhone in the creation of its own line of smartphones. Terms of the accord weren't immediately disclosed. The settlement follows a damages retrial in which Apple won a $539 million jury award in May.

61 comments

  1. Timing error... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1, Troll

    Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying the design of the iPhone in the creation of its own line of smartphones

    Samsung was making smartphones back in 2001, when Apple was trying to figure out how to copy Creative's MP3 player. Apple may have complained about Samsung copying the iPhone for a later line of smartphones, but Samsung was one of the early pioneers in the smartphone space, well before Apple even thought about getting into the space.

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    1. Re:Timing error... by OffaMyLawn · · Score: 1

      I used to carry around a Blackjack 2 running an NES emulator so I could tune out boring meetings. Everyone at the time just thought I was working on an email.

    2. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying the design of the iPhone in the creation of its own line of smartphones

      Samsung was making smartphones back in 2001, when Apple was trying to figure out how to copy Creative's MP3 player. Apple may have complained about Samsung copying the iPhone for a later line of smartphones, but Samsung was one of the early pioneers in the smartphone space, well before Apple even thought about getting into the space.

      So Samsung has been making mobile phones for a while. What the hell does that have to do with anything? I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G. Here's a graphic that kind of says it all: http://allthingsd.com/files/20... I saw one of the first Android prototypes too. It was a half screen and half keyboard affair that was clearly meant to be a Blackberry killer. Nobody took Apple seriously as a phone manufacturer, they all figured Apple would bring out some kind of glorified iPod with a keypad. When the iPhone hit the market everybody went back to the drawing board and the next thing you know they're all, by some cosmic coincidence, selling phones that look like more or less exactly like the iPhone. But of course none of them copied what Apple was doing ... perish the thought.

    3. Re:Timing error... by BronsCon · · Score: 0

      So Samsung has been making mobile phones for a while. What the hell does that have to do with anything?

      You answered your own question:

      I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G.

      Seems Apple was the one copying, if what you say is true.

      [clicks link to view image]

      Oh.

      Well, now...

      If the original Samsung smartphones look like iPhones to you, you might need to get your eyes checked.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    4. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple sued Samsung for allegedly copying the design of the iPhone in the creation of its own line of smartphones

      Samsung was making smartphones back in 2001, when Apple was trying to figure out how to copy Creative's MP3 player. Apple may have complained about Samsung copying the iPhone for a later line of smartphones, but Samsung was one of the early pioneers in the smartphone space, well before Apple even thought about getting into the space.

      But Samsung had a hard time selling their smartphones until they copied Apple. The End.

    5. Re:Timing error... by Solandri · · Score: 5, Informative

      FYI, the center pic in your link should be of an LG Prada, not an iPhone. The Prada was the first smartphone to go without a keyboard or keypad, not the iPhone. As I keep telling people, just because the first time you saw a feature was on an Apple product, does not mean Apple invented it.

      The pics on the left and right are also cherry-picked to make it look like the iPhone was the progenitor of the modern smartphone design. Here's what the pic looks like if you cherry-pick phones to make the comparison favorable to Samsung.

      Samsung already had phones in their internal design pipeline prior to the iPhone's release which looked very iPhone-like. They just weren't allowed to present them in court because they missed a filing deadline. The judge in the case opted to prioritize a legal deadline over the truth, which makes sense if a lawyer is exhibiting a pattern of missing deadlines, but not when potentially a billion dollars is at stake. The truth is the industry was already transitioning towards touch and away from physical keyboards by the time the iPhone rolled out. The iPhone did not create this new paradigm, it just happened to make the biggest splash with it.

      Samsung missed no deadlines in the similar case over the iPad's design. So they were able to successfully argue that the concept of a tablet existed long before the iPad, and that the Samsung Galaxy Tab's design actually borrowed from their digital picture frame which pre-dates the iPad (and the iPhone for that matter). And the jury ruled for Samsung in the tablet design patent case. They weren't jerks about it either - they didn't sue Apple for stealing their picture frame design for the iPad.

    6. Re:Timing error... by Solandri · · Score: 2

      But Samsung had a hard time selling their smartphones until they copied Apple. The End.

      Samsung has held a large chunk of the smartphone market since 1999. Their recent increase in their market share (2008-2013) coincides with Nokia's demise.

    7. Re:Timing error... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

      When the iPhone hit the market everybody went back to the drawing board and the next thing you know they're all, by some cosmic coincidence, selling phones that look like more or less exactly like the iPhone. But of course none of them copied what Apple was doing ... perish the thought.

      Don't get into ANY argument with LynwoodRooster or BronsCon on ANY Apple subject. They will simply supply circular logic in post after post until you give up in exasperation.

      Then they will feel like they have "won", when all they have actually done is wear you out; because they both seem to have nothing better to do than debate on Slashdot All. Day. Long.

    8. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      So Samsung has been making mobile phones for a while. What the hell does that have to do with anything?

      You answered your own question:

      I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G.

      Seems Apple was the one copying, if what you say is true. [clicks link to view image] Oh. Well, now... If the original Samsung smartphones look like iPhones to you, you might need to get your eyes checked.

      Dude, the iPhone came out first, the Samsung copy came out after the iPhone. so unless Apple has a time machine it was Samsung that copied the iPhone 1G.

    9. Re:Timing error... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 0

      You are wrong. Samsung was already well down the path of "no keyboard/all screen" before the release of the iPhone. But hey - you're a Fake Tim Cook, what do we expect?

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    10. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      FYI, the center pic in your link should be of an LG Prada, not an iPhone. The Prada was the first smartphone to go without a keyboard or keypad, not the iPhone. As I keep telling people, just because the first time you saw a feature was on an Apple product, does not mean Apple invented it.

      Hehe... really? According to that article the first image of the LG Prada came out in 2007 and it was released in December 2008. I actually still have a HP iPaq H6340 tablet phone that I bought back in 2004 or 2005, no physical keyboard, no physical keypad, just a software keyboard and a phone app. You could get an extra snap on keyboard but I never found much use for it.

    11. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But Samsung had a hard time selling their smartphones until they copied Apple. The End.

      Samsung has held a large chunk of the smartphone market since 1999. Their recent increase in their market share (2008-2013) coincides with Nokia's demise.

      I'll believe you when your source is not paywalled.

      Oh, BTW: Nokias demise coincides with them not being able to bring out a phone to rival the iPhone and it's clone android.

      PS:Samsung invented suing over stolen phone designs

    12. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The LG Prada was absolutely nothing like the iPhone. As this article at the time discusses:

      https://gizmodo.com/261172/settling-this-iphone-vs-lg-prada-nonsense

      Also, the the LG Prada was announced 10 days before iPhone.

      And lets not pretend that the design elements and innovations Apple was talking about was simply that there was no keyboard.
      multiple generations of palm devices had no keyboard. The Trio 180g even had an integrated phone.

      Of course Samsung had internal designs. THEY WERE AWARE OF THE IPHONE... The made several of the components for it.

      Hmmm... this is so weird... Apple wants a tiny capacitive screen that would allow you to recognize multiple touch points.... hmmm... why would they make a tiny Macintosh? weird! Oh, Apple wants an ARM cpu the low on battery use? soooo weird!
      And apple wants the whole thing to fit into this form factor... gosh. Good thing we have our internal designs!

    13. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      When the iPhone hit the market everybody went back to the drawing board and the next thing you know they're all, by some cosmic coincidence, selling phones that look like more or less exactly like the iPhone. But of course none of them copied what Apple was doing ... perish the thought.

      Don't get into ANY argument with LynwoodRooster or BronsCon on ANY Apple subject. They will simply supply circular logic in post after post until you give up in exasperation.

      Then they will feel like they have "won", when all they have actually done is wear you out; because they both seem to have nothing better to do than debate on Slashdot All. Day. Long.

      Yeah but I've been around since all telephones were grey and only worked if you attached them to a wall with a cable. Converting that from tech years to human years it's like having been around since there were still Neanderthals walking the earth. It's downright fun when these whippersnappers lecture me with such condescending arrogance on things like who was the first to market a mobile phone without a keyboard or key pad. Oh, and I do agree LynwoodRooster's posts tend not to make much sense. I blame it on these guys having spent their entire youth walking into hard and pointy objects because their faces were glued to a smartphone display 24/7.

    14. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Samsung missed no deadlines in the similar case over the iPad's design. So they were able to successfully argue that the concept of a tablet existed long before the iPad, and that the Samsung Galaxy Tab's design actually borrowed from their digital picture frame which pre-dates the iPad (and the iPhone for that matter). And the jury ruled for Samsung in the tablet design patent case. They weren't jerks about it either - they didn't sue Apple for stealing their picture frame design for the iPad.

      What a stupid claim. There are several Slashdot stories even from before the release of the iPhone about an "Apple tablet" that link to articles with photos of the design of the iPad. And those articles were all over the world back then. https://hardware.slashdot.org/... https://hardware.slashdot.org/...

    15. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So apple copied HP. I hope HP goes thermonuclear and sues apple. apple were thieves back then and they are thieves now.

    16. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OMG you are the biggest apple fanboi waste of time on here. You warning anyone away from anyone else is the biggest fucking joke ever.

    17. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL the perfect apple user, not to bright; condescending and bit of an asshole. You and 13 year old girls are apples target market. Congratulations

    18. Re:Timing error... by BronsCon · · Score: 1
      Did you miss the latter half of my comment? I mean, you quoted it, so I assume you read it and just didn't get it...

      In the first part of your comment you said:

      I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G.

      Then, you linked to a photo of Samsung's original smartphones, the iPhone, and phones Samsung released after the iPhone, which would not be Samsung's original smartphones. That's what the last line of my comment was pointing out, which doesn't contradict me saying the following:

      Seems Apple was the one copying, if what you say is true.

      Because what you say is not true, Samsung's original smartphones looked nothing like the iPhone.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    19. Re:Timing error... by Kartu · · Score: 1

      So Samsung has been making mobile phones for a while. What the hell does that have to do with anything? I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G.

      Bullshit.

    20. Re:Timing error... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      So Samsung has been making mobile phones for a while. What the hell does that have to do with anything? I remember the original Samsung smartphones. They were so similar to the 1-3G iPhones I inadvertently walked off with a Samsung phone a couple of times when I mistook one for my iPhone 3G. Here's a graphic that kind of says it all: http://allthingsd.com/files/20... I saw one of the first Android prototypes too. It was a half screen and half keyboard affair that was clearly meant to be a Blackberry killer. Nobody took Apple seriously as a phone manufacturer, they all figured Apple would bring out some kind of glorified iPod with a keypad. When the iPhone hit the market everybody went back to the drawing board and the next thing you know they're all, by some cosmic coincidence, selling phones that look like more or less exactly like the iPhone. But of course none of them copied what Apple was doing ... perish the thought.

      No they weren't... If you cant tell the difference between a Samsung Galaxy and Iphone, that really says a lot about how daft you are. Here's a non-photoshoped picture for reference. Its a different size, colour and has the word "Samsung" prominently displayed in large letters.

      I cant imagine how many Android phones you walk off with now IOS has changed into Android.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    21. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      LOL the perfect apple user, not to bright; condescending and bit of an asshole. You and 13 year old girls are apples target market. Congratulations

      *thud*, *thud*, *thud* ... the sharp wit and piercing wisdom of your words impact and demolish my sense of self worth like bullets from a 44 magnum ... Seriously though, Is that The best you can do?

    22. Re:Timing error... by Freischutz · · Score: 1

      So apple copied HP. I hope HP goes thermonuclear and sues apple. apple were thieves back then and they are thieves now.

      HP and Sony Ericsson who also came out with a no keyboard and no keypad phone around the same time. Not that it matters much, both these devices were essentially tablets with a mobile networking chip built in and it does not take an Einstein level intellect to figure out the advantages of putting a networking capability into a tablet. As for tablets in general, they have been around since the 1980s. Fun fact, Apple released one of the very first ones in 1987. It was called the Apple Newton. It had no keyboard, just a big touch screen.

    23. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to that article the first image of the LG Prada came out in 2007 and it was released in December 2008

      No, the Prada was released in May 2007. It was the Prada II was released in December 2008.

      Regarding "the first smartphone to go without a keyboard or keypad", that really depends on what where you draw the line at what a "smartphone" is. The point being made is that is clearly wasn't the iPhone.

    24. Re:Timing error... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Not to mention they still rule the world in terms of smartphone market share. Apple never led...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    25. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And was a massive failure for apple.. Cute.

    26. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get well soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

    27. Re:Timing error... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not sure if you are lying or just ignorant. Apple started developing the Newton in 1987 and shipped the first devices in 1993. Meanwhile the GRiDPad released in 1989 says "Suck it apple".
      I mean really; stop trying to make it look like apple a big innovator. Its not the truth no matter how much you people try and change facts.

    28. Re:Timing error... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      LOL the perfect apple user, not to bright; condescending and bit of an asshole. You and 13 year old girls are apples target market. Congratulations

      *thud*, *thud*, *thud* ... the sharp wit and piercing wisdom of your words impact and demolish my sense of self worth like bullets from a 44 magnum ... Seriously though, Is that The best you can do?

      Tee hee!

    29. Re:Timing error... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      OMG you are the biggest apple fanboi waste of time on here. You warning anyone away from anyone else is the biggest fucking joke ever.

      Sez the Anonymous COWARD.

      Some jokes just write themselves...

    30. Re:Timing error... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      LOL the perfect apple user, not to bright; condescending and bit of an asshole. You and 13 year old girls are apples target market. Congratulations

      So sez the Anonymous Coward, who apparently hasn't learned even the difference between to, two and too, and that Apple's is possessive.

      Congratulations.

  2. Terms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shocked it took them so long to have this come down to a battle to the death in the Thunderdome. Could have saved untold millions in fees.

  3. Korea Rumbled Out! Surrenders to the U.S.A. U.S.A. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the winner, by TKO

      U. S. A.

      U. S. A.

      U. S. A.

  4. SCO / Oracle by darkain · · Score: 1

    Now if only SCO could do the same...
    Now if only Oracle could do the same...

    1. Re:SCO / Oracle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No settlement for SCO. These trolls need to die without ever seeing a penny.

    2. Re:SCO / Oracle by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Why would anyone settle with SCO? At this point I would accept nothing less than having all their staff and lawyer's testicles irradiated by a very strong Cobalt source.

    3. Re:SCO / Oracle by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      SCO's lawyers are sentenced by their own idiocy to a lifetime of fighting a lost battle without receiving payment. Letting them go home would really spoil the fun!

  5. Sharp by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    I still haven't seen any smartphones with sharp corners.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Sharp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      https://www.google.com/search?q=sharp+smartphone&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ_Jrcy_TbAhUBwlkKHeV2AeUQsxgIKQ

    2. Re:Sharp by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Was that supposed to show smartphones with sharp corners? I didn't even know sharp made smartphones.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    3. Re:Sharp by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      The CAT S41 is close. Beveled corners instead of rounded, so you have 8 fairly sharp corners rather than 4 really sharp corners.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    4. Re:Sharp by SeaFox · · Score: 2

      I still haven't seen any smartphones with sharp corners.

      Lots of Sony smartphones have square corners.

    5. Re:Sharp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I still haven't seen any smartphones with sharp corners.

      And yet Samsung claimed Apple copied the design from the only thing in "2001" with corners as sharp as the monolith. That''s why you lost.

    6. Re:Sharp by Gonoff · · Score: 1

      I still haven't seen any smartphones with sharp corners.

      I haven't seen seen any phone with sharp edges - smart, feature, dumb, car, wall, satelite or historical.
      Have Apple lawyers considered taking out a suit on Mr AG Bell for using their ideas?

      --
      I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
  6. The real winners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I would love to hear the total for legal fees across both sides for the duration of this court battle.

  7. This is very bad news ... by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Funny

    for all the lawyers involved.

    1. Re:This is very bad news ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As if millions of paralegals suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced

    2. Re:This is very bad news ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dont worry apple has a bunch of class action lawsuits against them so their lawyers wont go hungry.

    3. Re:This is very bad news ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are joking, right?

      They collect a % of any settlement fee.

  8. And nothing of value was gained... by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    What a waste of time / judicial resources this was.

    1. Re:And nothing of value was gained... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      Not at all. Apple protected its IP and patents. Samsung lost and had to come begging for a settlement. The fact is they outright copied someone's design. Every Android phone is a just a pale copy of iOS now. Eat it.

    2. Re:And nothing of value was gained... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Not at all

      Yes it was.
      Apple protected its IP and patents. Nope. It demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, that Apple can claim copying if it notices you, but you're probably just going to pay a one time heavy franchise fee without the legal strings. Maybe there would be something against the IBM Simon, but Apple is grasping as it loses marketshare. Sorry you're butthurt about it.

  9. Re:Kennedy self-aborts seat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Need a nominee who is heavily invested in wire coat hangers. Finally, bring back the wire coat hanger!

  10. Oh thank god... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm SURE that's the last we'll ever hear of this...

  11. Odd thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Why do the same people who claim that Apple copied the LG Prada or the Samsung F700 also always claim that it wasn't Apple who made smartphone screens bigger - when the original iPhone screen is clearly bigger that that of the phones it supposedly copied?

    And that's before we get into the fact that when the iPhone came out people complained that its screen was "too big", culminating in claims that Apple replaced images of people holding iPhones with ones were the hands were bigger to make the iPhone look smaller.

    1. Re:Odd thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple have always had tiny little screens compared to android. It took them a long while to work out how to scale the resolution and not have an ugly screen look even worse.

  12. apple didn't really win anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    the amount of bad PR and ridicule apple gets over this lawsuit will live on long after its over. apple is all about image and this sure didn't help their. This all started back at the time apple was suing schools for using an apple in their logos. No wonder they lost the classrooms to Chromebooks. This all just helped cement apple as a bully and despicable company

  13. Real features and real buttons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time to start making devices with real QWERTY keyboards and other useful features again.