During the closing arguments at the latest hearing of the Apple–Samsung patent squabble, Samsung’s counsel said that “Apple doesn’t own beautiful and sexy,” and told the jury that his client shouldn’t have to pay more money for design elements in Apple products that competitors should feel free to use. Samsung attorney William Price made a similar argument earlier in the trial when sarcastically asked Apple’s senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller whether Apple owned “a patent on a product being beautiful or sexy.” Schiller responded that “the industry does tend to follow trends of products that are doing well.”
Reuters reports that on Tuesday Price also said in closing remarks that Samsung will pay what the law demands, but that the South Korean company “should not be forced to overcompensate Apple for design touches that any competitor should be allowed to incorporate.”
Last year, a jury awarded $1 billion to Apple in the case after finding several Samsung devices infringing on Apple patents. But U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh cut the number down to $600 million back in March and ordered a retrial on the rest of the sum. Apple now wants Samsung to pay $379.8 million, while Samsung says that it should pay only $52.7 million. “There’s no question Samsung infringed those five patents,” Price said in opening remarks at the start of the retrial, and added that “Apple is simply asking for much more money than it’s entitled to.”
The six-woman, two-man jury will now have to decide on how much money Samsung has to pay Apple in addition to the $600 million.
