Apple (AAPL) on Friday scored what could end up being a major victory over rival Samsung (005930) if the South Korean company isn’t able to reverse the ruling during its appeal. Following the jury’s decision, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email to Apple’s entire staff to congratulate them on the win and to tell them he is “very proud of the work that each of you do.” Here is Cook’s note in its entirety:
Today was an important day for Apple and for innovators everywhere.
Many of you have been closely following the trial against Samsung in San Jose for the past few weeks. We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work. For us this lawsuit has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It’s about values. We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the jury who invested their time in listening to our story. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than we knew.
The jury has now spoken. We applaud them for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.
I am very proud of the work that each of you do.
Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens.
Tim
The email was first published by 9to5Mac. Samsung on Friday was found to have willfully infringed on Apple’s technology and design patents, and was ordered to pay nearly $1.05 billion in damages. Samsung plans to appeal the decision.
