The two tech giants are going to lock horns in a US jury trial today, after over two years of continuous accusations over copying each other’s patented designs and technologies. As the federal court in San Jose, California gears up to host this mega-trial, all of Silicon Valley along with technology enthusiasts the world over await the outcome with bated breath because the trial will have implications across the globe. At TechThirsty.com, we have been following up on all current updates related to, what can be easily called one of the hottest tech wars. As the companies set up for war, let’s see what is at stake: Samsung’s recent success with its smartphone and tablet caused Apple to sue the company with claims that the former ‘slavishly copied’ the latter’s popular iPhone and iPad designs. While Apple is seeking at least $2.53 billion in damages, if it wins, this amount could go significantly higher, at the judge’s discretion. On the other hand, Samsung claims that Apple would not have been able to succeed if it were not for Samsung’s technology, for which it has not even received any credit. Let’s take a look at what’s at stake for these two firms, and what this trial means for the technology industry as a whole. If Samsung loses the case, it could affect almost 20% of its entire profits. If Apple wins the case, it could ask for a permanent ban on some of Samsung’s hottest selling products, including the flagship Galaxy S3 and Galaxy tablets. Samsung is already reeling under the effect of a ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and its latest Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the US market. However, if the trial sways in Samsung’s favor, Apple could not only stand to dish out a lot of money to cover financial damages, it could also end up losing to the competition. Tech enthusiasts have already established that Samsung’s Galaxy S3 is a better phone than the iPhone 4S, a fact that Apple might also have to admit if it loses the case. As things heat up in the courtroom, other tech majors like Microsoft, IBM, Nokia, and Research in Motion have already filed court papers to protect their own patent licensing agreements from being disclosed due to this trial between Apple and Samsung. During the course of the trial, onlookers can expect to see a host of design documents and financial data being brought out as each side tries to bring the other one down. The trial is expected to go on for at least 4 weeks and both companies will have to convince a 10-member jury of each other’s wrongdoing. This is one of the most significant patent cases to come to trial in current times and will have significant implications that could affect not only the two main parties, but also have cascading effects on other companies including Google and other Asian phone makers like Huawei. Read our previous articles on the background, and some more color on Samsung’s claims and Apple’s claims.
