US: Apple slams Samsung mistrial claim in midst of patent damages recount

As a jury in California met once again to deliberate and calculate the damages Samsung owes its rival Apple for patent infringements, reports say Samsung has requested a stay in the trial, calling on the judge to declare a mistrial. It’s a move Apple is criticizing as one that “crossed the bounds of reason,” say reports.

Late Thursday, however, the jury announced its verdict: Samsung is to pay $290.5 million in damages to Apple for infringing on 13 Apple products; in total, the damages Samsung is ordered to pay its rival amount to $929.8 million in the lawsuit.

Samsung filed an emergency motion for US District Judge Lucy Koh to halt the trial hours after the US Patent Office rejected Apple’s response to the Office’s previous rejection of one of the patents in question.

”This decision calls into question the entire jury verdict in this trial,” Samsung said according to court documents.

Samsung and Apple are currently at war around the globe for smartphone domination, and are both expected to go to court once again next March in an even larger case involving patent infringement claims on newer devices.

A previous jury for the current case found Samsung liable to $1.05 billion in damages, but Judge Koh tossed the figure, saying it was miscalculated based on 13 patents. The damages for those 13 Samsung products found to have infringed on Apple patents will now be calculated by the new jury.

In total, the court found 26 Samsung products to have infringed on Apple patents.

Full Content: Bloomberg and PCWorld

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.