The eight-person jury in the second Apple vs. Samsung patent case in the U.S. is already working on deciding who copied whom now that lawyers delivered their closing arguments. But the case is far from clear to them, The Verge reports, as the jury has sent several questions to Judge Lucy Koh asking for more details. Questions given to the judge covered Steve Jobs’s influence on the lawsuits that lead to this patent battle in the first place, as well as more information on how the specific patents in question were developed and/or acquired.
“What did Steve Jobs say at the moment he directed, or decided to prosecute a case against Samsung?” the jurors asked. “Was Google mentioned, and /or included in that directive, or subsequent directives, to be included in any way in the case?”
The jury also wondered what Samsung had to say when it heard about Apple’s allegations. “What did the CEO of Samsung say or write at the moment he first heard about Apple Corp. believing Samsung was infringing their intellectual property? What subsequent direction did he dive to his team as to how to respond?” the jury asked in a second note.
In addition to wondering about what Apple’s and Samsung’s CEOs did and say before the two companies filed suits and countersuits, the jurors also wanted to know how the seven patents (five for Apple and two for Samsung in play were chosen.
“How were the five Apple patents chosen? Were they identified to Apple execs prior to the decision to pursue patent infringement, or after?” the jury asked in a note.
“How were the two patents chosen by Samsung to be purchased?” the jury also asked. “Who specifically, and initially, recommended that purchase, and what was his/her title?”
However, the judge shot down all requests for more information, saying that the jury will have to make do with the evidence already presented to them. That can only mean that in a very likely future appeal of the case, both sides will know what extra juicy bits of information to offer a future jury.
The jury in the first Apple vs Samsung case took less than three days to reach a verdict, giving a substantial win to the iPhone maker.
