Apple criticizes ‘illegal market strategy’ Samsung and demands $2.2 billion

In the closing arguments of a lawsuit against Samsung, Apple’s lawyers accused the competitor of pursuing an ‘illegal market strategy’. The company is seeking $2.2 billion in damages in the patent case. Samsung wants $7 million from Apple.

The two leading companies in the smartphone market have had lawsuits for years, almost always about patent issues. Apple accuses Samsung in the ongoing patent infringement case: the South Korean electronics giant is said to have infringed five software patents by implementing certain functions in its smartphones. Samsung, in turn, claims that Apple infringes two patents.

In the closing plea on Tuesday, Apple’s lawyers stated that Samsung copied various functionalities of the iPhone because it would be lagging behind the smartphone market and wanted to quickly catch up. Samsung is said to have continued to do so despite Apple warning that they may be violating software patents from the iPhone manufacturer. With this course of action, Samsung would have pursued an ‘illegal market strategy’. Samsung was also accused that insufficient witnesses who worked for the company dared to testify during the patent case.

In its response to Apple’s allegations, Samsung stated that it has not infringed any of its competitor’s software patents and that it has mainly relied on Google’s Android development. They would have worked on the relevant features before the iPhone introduction in 2007, writes The Wall Street Journal.

In the lawsuit, Apple is demanding $2.2 billion, or 1.6 billion euros, for damages from Samsung. The South Korean company wants Apple to pay them 7 million dollars, about 5.1 million euros. A jury will soon decide in the patent case, after which the amount of possible damages will be determined.