On Dec. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Apple’s $399 million patent infringement verdict against Samsung. The decision — the first from the Supreme Court to interpret design patent damages since 1886 — arguably raises more questions than it answers.
In a series of widely publicized cases around the globe, Apple and Samsung have been battling over the alleged infringement of smartphone designs since 2011. Through multiple trials and appeals, Apple eventually obtained a $399 million verdict for Samsung’s infringement of three Apple design patents covering various aspects of the iPhone, including the front screen and its rounded corners.
