Smartphone patent wars: No end in sight

Smartphone makers have been engaged in multiple lawsuits against rivals for almost a decade now. Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm, HTC, Ericsson, Sony, Motorola, Microsoft etc. have gone to law courts often challenging rivals alleging patent infringements

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics are engaged in series of high profile intellectual property disputes. Their cases have reached the Supreme Court of the United States more than once and there seems to be no end in sight. Two cases deserve special mention. The first one deals with certain design patents of Apple. This case was filed in the year 2011 by Apple against Samsung but after many rounds in various courts this dispute headed for a retrial in May 2018 wherein jurors have awarded Apple $539 million in damages, concluding that Samsung had infringed on Apple design and utility patents. The design patents in the case included black rectangular front face with rounded corners as well as rectangular front face with rounded corners and a raised rim. Samsung smartphone's resemblance with Apple iPhone led to Apple suing Samsung alleging infringement of the design patents. US Patent Act provide a damage remedy for design patent infringement. One who manufactures or sells any ‘article of manufacture’ to which a patented design is applied is liable to the owner to the extent of his total profit.

source:

http://www.forbesindia.com/blog/technology/smartphone-patent-wars-no-end-in-sight/