The jury awarded Apple $290 million in damages yesterday. This all goes back to the case where Apple was awarded $1.05 billion, which US District Judge Lucy Koh later reduced by $410.5 million. At the time Judge Koh said the reduction was due to a juror miscalculation. But while this verdict came yesterday, it seems we are now learning a bit about what convinced the jurors to come to this decision.
According to details coming from a Bloomberg report, it would appear as if one witness was rather influential. That witness was Julie L. Davis who was brought on by Apple as a damages expert to replace an earlier witness that passed away. It was said that Davis was able to “provide clear evidence they could use to arrive at their damages sum and was unflappable on the stand.”
Some of the comments from the jurors touched on how Davis was able to offer them lots of information an also that she “was on it.” Simply put, it would appear as if Davis was a big influence on the jurors. Aside from Davis, Apple used the same lead lawyers, arguments and witnesses as they did last year.
Otherwise, while the jury awarded $290 million, Apple was looking to get $380 million and Samsung was going in low with hopes of $52 million. While this case seems to be coming to an end, this isn’t the only current court battle between Samsung and Apple.
Apple will be back in court in March, 2014, once again in front of Judge Koh. The case that will be heard in March deals with ‘newer’ model smartphones including the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III. That all having been said, Apple seems to be maintaining this is more about the patents. An Apple spokesperson was noted as saying “this case has always been about more than patents and money.”
Needless to say, there was also mention of the money when that same spokesperson touched on how even though “it’s impossible to put a price tag on those values, we [they] are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost.” Bottom line here, it looks like Apple made a good decision when the decided to bring Davis on as a damages expert.