Samsung smartphones face ban
Apple gives judge list of 8 products after verdict
SAN FRANCISCO – Apple Inc. on Monday gave a federal judge a list of eight Samsung Electronics Co. products it wants pulled from shelves and banned from the U.S. market, including popular Galaxy model smartphones.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh asked for the list after a jury in San Jose last week slammed Samsung with a $1.05 billion verdict, finding that the South Korean technology giant had “willfully” copied Apple’s iPhone and iPad in creating and marketing the products. Samsung plans an appeal.
The products: Apple wants all smartphones out: Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail.
Koh on June 26 banned the Galaxy Tab 10.1 from the U.S. market after finding it likely violated a “design patent.” Samsung is now asking for that ban to be lifted after the jury found the computer tablet didn’t infringe that particular patent.
The hearing: The judge has scheduled a Sept. 20 hearing to discuss Apple’s demands for the sales bans. She asked Apple on Friday to submit the list of products its wants removed from U.S. stores after Samsung complained that it doesn’t have enough time to prepare for the scheduled hearing.
The judge is deciding whether to reschedule the hearing to give Samsung more time to prepare.
More damages: In addition to the sales bans, Apple also plans to ask the judge to triple the damages to $3.15 billion because of the jury’s finding that Samsung “willfully” copied Apple.
Older phones: Most of the Samsung products found to have “infringed” Apple’s patent were older devices no longer being sold. The list Apple presented to the court Monday represent devices it believes are still being sold in U.S. stores, including several versions of the company’s popular S2 phones introduced last year. Samsung’s newest and hottest-selling smartphone, the Galaxy S3, was not part of the lawsuit and is unaffected by the jury’s verdict.
The question remains whether Samsung and other Apple competitors will have to redesign their smartphones to avoid infringing Apple’s patents.