[NewsPoster]

Shortly after Samsung was handed a massive defeat in its patent infringement battle with Apple, the South Korean company issued a statement decrying the verdict as a "loss for the American consumer." The smartphone manufacturer lamented not only today's verdict, but also the current patent environment -- questioning the legitimacy of Apple's design patents and vowing to press forward in other cases.

In deciding the case for Apple, jurors awarded the Cupertino-based company $1.05 billion in damages, finding that Samsung had infringed six of seven mobile device patents held by Apple. Samsung stopped short of promising an appeal, though observers expect that one will soon follow given the size of the reward, its potential impact on Samsung's brand image, and the potentially precedent-setting nature of the decision. "Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple," the company said in its statement, "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." Notable among Samsung's defiant language is the passage noting that "[consumers] know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products." The potential for Samsung's designs to cause consumer confusion was one of the main points in Apple's case, and the iPhone maker even entered into evidence surveys suggesting that some Best Buy customers that had purchased Samsung products had returned them after being disappointed to discover that they were not iPads. It's unlikely that today's verdict is the end of the battle between the two tech giants. As Samsung notes in its statement, the decision affects only the American market for now. Earlier today, a South Korean court banned a number of Apple and Samsung products, finding that both companies had infringed on patents. The two companies are engaged in a number of other patent cases around the world, and the legal impact from today's decision is unlikely to be known for quite some time as the appeals process begins. For its part, Apple hailed the jury's decision, saying it sent "a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right." Apple's statement drew attention to "the mountain of evidence presented during the trial," and said that Samsung's copying went "far deeper than even we knew."

[Loren]

["Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple," the company said in its statement," but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices."]

No, that's not RIGHT. It's a loss for Samsung, for COPYING AND PAINTING BLUE. And we won't buy your products, so we won't suffer your high prices which you expect us to pay to amortize your design crime punishment. You can go back to making refridgerators. That's all there is to it.

Jeez, the spin season is full on.

Fortunately for Apple there is no infringer too big to sue for hard-won patents, especially over trade dress.

[viktorob]

Sansung has NO SHAME AT ALL.
They drive them self as a company who has a spacial market for people that doesn't know what they are buying and they can easily confuse.
Just look at their phones before and after the iPhone
Look at their tables before an after the iPhone.
Looks at the phone charger on sansung phones, they are a little cube just exactly as the iphone charger.
Look at the new vide they release explaining their "innovation" process... it looks exactly like the introduction video of the iphone (and other apple products).
American didm loss anything, if it weren't for apple, we would still using little dummy phones or useless expensive smartphones.
Normal people started using smartphones AFTER THE IPHONE, not after the galaxy or android.
America and the rest of the world has won a big victory.

[viktorob]

Sorry for the miss typos heheheh I was using a windows computer

[Feathers]

I have a simple question.

Since Samsung has been found guilty of willful infringement despite many of their own employees testifying to the contrary and claiming inspiration form nature, are these witnesses guilty of perjury?

[SwissMac]

Since when has being forced to innovate instead of copying what already exists been bad for consumers? Now Samsung will have to invent something for a change instead of copying other peoples' ideas, supported by their corrupt system. Of course, that may be a bit difficult for them since they haven't done it before... but theoretically two companies inventing things should give consumers more choice, not less. IF both companies are creative and innovative. Samsung are this alright, but only in ways of trying to persuade public opinion that Apple is the bad guy here.

[Mechanic]

Boo Hoo. Samsung got caught ripping off apples ip and now are just whining for sympathy. The are lying thief's plain and simple and the jury saw through there bs. Its now time for the appeals process and I hope that they loose there big time as well. They have made there own copyist bed and now have to lie in it.

[msuper69]

"decrying"

Try crying.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by xmlaroux 

I take it none of you ifools have ever used the Galaxy II or III. Nothing but pure delight. You can keep your 3.5" screen and square box you call an Iphone with your 3G and the AT&T drops at a hat signals. I'll take my Galaxy III all day, enjoy it, love it, and hell, I might even watch a MOVIE on it. Can't do that on your phones(you can if you have a magnifying glass). Wait, I'll upgrade the battery, add some SD memory, hell, I'll make a hotspot, do some ahem.. S Voice, download some apps... I MUST be copying the big A now... but you can't do 90% of that on your iProduct. Damn...

Holy Non-Sequitur Rant, Batman!

[Loren]

[You can keep your 3.5" screen and square box you call an Iphone with your 3G and the AT&T drops at a hat signals.

That's old hat. We have more choices now. We can choose to be dropped by Verizon too! So can Samsung!

;-)