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In whats being called the “Patent Dispute of the Decade” Apple smashes Samsung and  walks with a $1 Billion (yes $1,000,000,000) verdict in their favor against Samsung. Some say this could be the beginning of an unfair monopoly. Others say the consumer loose. Take a look at the “Verdict Form” where all of the following devices were sited as bearing some sort of infringement on a number of Apple’s patents.

  1. Captivate (JX 1011)
  2. Continuum (JX 1016)
  3. Droid Charge (JX 1025)
  4. Epic 4G (JX 1012)
  5. Exhibit 4G (JX 1028)
  6. Fascinate (JX 1013)
  7. Galaxy Ace (JX 1030)
  8. Galaxy Prevail (JX 1022)
  9. Galaxy S (i9000) (JX 1007)
  10. Galaxy S 4G (JX 1019)
  11. Galaxy S II (AT&T) (JX 1031)
  12. Galaxy S II (i9100) (JX 1032)
  13. Galaxy Tab (JX 1036)
  14. Galaxy Tab 10.1 (WiFi) (JX 1037)
  15. Gem (JX 1020)
  16. Indulge (JX 1026)
  17. Infuse 4G (JX 1027)
  18. Mesmerize (JX 1015)
  19. Nexus S 4G (JX 1023)
  20. Replenish (JX 1024)
  21. Vibrant (JX 1010)

Let’s see what Forbes has to say…

The nine-member jury sided almost entirely with Apple Inc. in its patent dispute case with Samsung Electronics Co., awarding Apple nearly $1.05 billion in a “sweeping victory” over claims that the Korean electronics maker copied the designs of its iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet.

The verdict comes after less than three full days of deliberation in a high-stakes trial overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose federal court.

“The jury’s $1 billion verdict is a sweeping victory for Apple. It solidifies Apple’s dominance of the market for smart phones and tablets,” said Steve Mitby, a partner with Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. in Houston. “If the court issues an injunction based on the jury’s verdict, this would ban Apple’s key competitor from the market for months, if not years.”

Apple sued Samsung in April 2011, alleging it had “copied” the designs of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung countersued Apple in June 2011, saying the Cupetino, California-company had infringed on Samsung patents around wireless communications and camera phones.

The jury, made up of seven men and two women, today found no such infringement on Apple’s part and said Samsung was entitled to “zero” in damages.

Apple was seeking $2.5 billion in damages, and it called on the jury Aug. 21 to impose a heavy penalty on Samsung. “They will not change their way of operating if you slap them on the wrist,” Apple attorney Howard McElhinny said in his closing argument.

It wasn’t a clean sweep for Apple. The jury didn’t agree to some of Apple’s claims around the iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. Still, the overall impression after a read through of the 20-page verdict form, which contains 33 multi-part questions, showed the jury bought into Apple’s copying claims, particularly around the iPhone.

Here’s Apple’s statement on today’s verdict:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values.  At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy.  We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

This is what Samsung had to say:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

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