US: Former Samsung CEO takes the stand against Apple patent charges

Samsung’s former Chief Executive Officer took the stand Monday to testify on behalf of his company to defend against the latest patent feud with rival Apple, a move aimed at debunking Apple’s previous claims that Samsung appeared indifferent to a 2012 case when Samsung did not have a senior executive testify.

Dale Sohn served as Samsung’s CEO up until last year to defend the company against Apple’s claims that Samsung’s Galaxy phones infringed on Apple patents. It’s only the latest in a slew of patent litigation between the companies; Apple, which seeks $2 billion in damages in the current case, sued Samsung in 2012 and was awarded more than $1 billion in damages on claims Samsung infringed on iPhone design patents.

This time, the companies are challenging each others’ software functions. Apple says 10 Samsung products violate five Apple patents regarding interface designs, including the slide-to-unlock characteristic.

Sohn’s testimony Monday aimed to outline the differences in the companies’ business models and explain why he did not testify in the 2012 case, so as to block Apple from using the same argument this time around.

”I felt a bit uncomfortable,” Sohn told the jurors about his lack of appearance in 2012. “Now I have become more comfortable with this case, so I decided to speak English.”

The companies have been engaged in, or are currently fighting, cases on four continents over each others’ smartphone patents.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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