Samsung to appeal $1bn court ruling in Apple patent case

Samsung will appeal the court ruling that said it copied Apple's smart phone and tablet designs, the BBC reports.

A San Jose court ruled on Friday that the Korean company was guilty of patent infringement, and ordered it to pay Apple more than $1bn in damages.

Samsung will be hoping to reverse the decision, or at least bring down its fine somewhat. It was seeking $421m in damages from Apple, accusing it of using US patent law to dominate the smart phone market, but didn't receive a bean.

Samsung said the decision "should not be seen 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."

Apple, meanwhile, said the case was about more than patents or money, but about values. It said the decision sent a "loud and clear message that stealing isn't right."

The verdict wasn't unanimous on all counts, but was all in Apple's favour. It found Samsung infringed Apple's patents in plenty of devices, including the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab, and Galaxy Ace. A preliminary hearing on injunctions will be heard on 20 September, which could see some Samsung devices banned from sale.

It could also have far-reaching implications for smart phone design in the future. Apple is thought to be taking aim at the entire Android operating system next, which Steve Jobs claimed was a "stolen product."

A juror in the case has spilled the beans on how the jury reached its decision. It sounded no mean feat, with hundreds of pages of evidence to sift through. But it took just two and a half days of deliberation, and it was obvious they all agreed Samsung was in the wrong after the first day.

Does Samsung's appeal stand a chance? Let me know what you reckon in the comments, or on Facebook.