Verdict for the Apple VS. Samsung Case is in the Hands of the Jury

NEW YORK – After 50 hours of testimonies, hundreds of tests , millions of dollars in fees for lawyers and expert witnesses, 84 court instructions and four hours of closing arguments in the Apple vs. Samsung patents trial, the decision is now in the hands of seven men and two women with no previous experience in patents, contracts, or antitrust laws. When the jury returns to federal court in San Jose, California, they will give their verdict on whether or not Samsung illegally “stole” the iPhone and iPad.

If you haven’t been following this case, here’s a rundown:

Apple claims that the Korean manufacturer stole the patents on the iPhone and iPad. Samsung on the other hand, says that Apple does not have a case against them because they bought the patents even before the first iPhone model came out.

At stake are precedent setting principles on the value of design, invention, and intellectual property, not to mention the billions of dollars in damages and other penalties.

Generally, complex and important cases like this are almost always decided by a judge. In other cases, both parties reach a settlement before going to a jury. This is the first time that the verdict for a case between two gigantic companies is going to be decided by a jury alone.