Samsung ordered to pay Apple $539M for patent infringement

A California jury on Thursday ordered Samsung to pay $539 million in damages to Apple Inc., six years after the South Korean tech giant was first found liable for infringing on five iPhone patents in its own smartphone designs.

Of the total, Samsung must pay about $533.3 million for infringing on three Apple design patents and about $5.3 million for infringing on two utility patents. The infringements in question occurred in Android phones Samsung sold in 2010 and 2011, CNET reported.

The jury’s ruling was significantly higher than the $28 million that Samsung argued it should pay. Apple, however, had sought damages in excess of $1 billion.

"Today's decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said in a statement. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers."

Samsung did not immediately clarify whether it will move forward with an appeal of the verdict.

The deliberations stemmed from a long-simmering legal battle between the two tech giants. Samsung was sued for patent infringement in 2011 and found liable in 2012, but the process of determining how much Samsung should pay has dragged out in court for years.

Samsung has already paid $399 million of the $539 million total, Reuters reported. If the jury’s decision is upheld on appeal, Samsung will have to pay the balance.

“This case has always been about more than money,” Apple said in a statement. “Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone, and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design. It is important that we continue to protect the hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple."