July 24 (Reuters) – Apple Inc claims it is entitledto $2.525 billion of damages in its high stakes battle againstSamsung Electronics Co over patents for technologyused in smartphones and tablets, such as the iPhone and iPad.
The estimate was revealed in a court filing early Tuesday, six days before the world’s largest consumer electronics companies are scheduled on July 30 to begin a jury trial before US District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California.
Apple accused Samsung of infringing its patents by making its popular Galaxy phone and computer tablets “work and look” like Apple products, enabling the South Korean company to overtake it as the world’s largest maker of smartphones.
Samsung has countered that it simply developed its own “unique” products in a bid to “best the competition,” and that Apple actually owes money for using its patented technology.
In its court filing, Apple said Samsung owes “substantial monetary damages” because it illegally “chose to compete by copying Apple.
“It said Samsung has been “unjustly enriched” by an undisclosed amount — presumably $2 billion — and deprived Apple of $500 million of profit and $25 million of reasonable royalty damages. This results in “a combined total of $2.525 billion” of damages, Apple said.Apple called its estimates conservative, and still plans to pursue a permanent injunction to stop future violations.STIFLING COMPETITIONThirteen minutes after Apple’s filing, Samsung countered with a filing accusing the Cupertino, California based company of trying “to stifle legitimate competition and limit consumer choice to maintain its historically exorbitant profits.
“It said Apple should pay for using patented Samsung technology, “without which Apple could not have become a successful participant in the mobile telecommunications industry.
Samsung counts Apple as its biggest customer and makes parts central to Apple’s mobile devices.
Stefanie O'Neill is a business journalist based in Hong Kong, China. Stefanie has a passion for financial markets and breaking news stories and loves writing about business news, stock market, and economic opinions that matters most to its audience. Stefanie spends a lot of time discovering and researching latest financial markets and industry news stories in order to make sure the latest and greatest stories are brought to you first on BigBoardNews.com.
