"Apple-Samsung Case Shows Smartphone as Legal Magnet"

September 10th, 2012

Summary:

1. Apple sues Samsung for over $1B for Patent Issues

2. Decision came in San Jose, California on August 24th

3. This is another example of how big cell phone patents are becoming and already are

4. Patent and protection of them will only become harder...

Opinion:

Apple and Samsung are the worlds two leading cell phone makers. To put it bluntly, Apple just received a lot of money from Samsung over how a cell phone locks and looks unlocked. Sounds silly right? Why would Apple be so harsh on something that SEEMS so irrelevant when they have enough money already? Because it is not. And I am about to tell you why...

As we all know, the cell phone has completely changed the lives of billions all over the planet over the past few decades. What you may not know is that the market for cell phones and tablets is he fastest growing market in business. Not only has the cell phone changed our lives, but it has changed the way corporations view patents and how their products and their features cannot even be remotely "copied" or "stolen". What makes this even more difficult for all technological corporations that have cell phones as part of their line of products is that there are in excess of 250,00 patents for any corporation to be allowed to patent their products with, and if any other companies violate even one of these patents that has been made by another corporation, they are eligible to be sued for amounts of money that some countries do not have!

In total, Samsung violated several (around six) of Apples patents involving software and mobile devices. With over 250,000 patents to be aware of, it is incredibly hard and sometimes impossible to ensure that you have not violated any of your competitors patents. Apple was awarded $1B in damages and did not violate any of Samsung's patents. Finally, all of Apples patents that they believed were violated were valid in the eyes of the jury in San Jose.

Whether you believe that the current patent system is working or not, be sure of one thing; technology is not cheap to the public, but companies are using this money for ammunition for war, not a war involving tanks and death, but a war involving one weapon, one goal, one money maker, the war of the patent.