The United States Supreme Court has been presented with a case regarding two of the world’s largest technology firms – Samsung and Apple – because the former has stated that an earlier patent ruling was unfair.
In 2012, a jury awarded Apple over $1 billion in damages, which Samsung was ordered to pay for ‘copying’ the iPhone design.
The case centred on infringement of Apple’s design patent, which covers physical appearance, rather than the more commonly cited “utility patent” in America, which covers how something operates.
Following the 2012 ruling, Samsung released a statement which said: “We are disappointed by today’s decision, which is based in large part on a patent that the US Patent and Trademark Office has recently deemed invalid”.
The company is now arguing that the late 19th Century law that was cited in the ruling is no longer relevant for 2015 and today’s products.
A number of other international technology firms including Facebook and Google have also supported Samsung’s claim, arguing that the verdict must be reversed or else there will be limits placed on worldwide innovation.
They have also claimed that there will be numerous difficulties for developers hoping to launch new products, due to fear of legal action, unless the decision is reversed.
The last patent cases the Supreme Court oversaw were in the 1800s, and the cases covered the design of saddles, carpets and spoon handles, but the same law at that time is being used to this day.
In a statement, Samsung added: “Samsung is escalating this case because it believes that the way the laws were interpreted is not in line with modern times.
“If the current legal precedent stands, it could diminish innovation, stifle competition, pave the way for design patent troll litigation, and negatively impact the economy and consumers.”