Google (GOOG) – which has stayed curiously silent throughout most of the Apple (APPL) vs Samsung proceedings, spoke up today. The search giant released a statement about Apple (AAPL)’s blockbuster court win against its Android partner Samsung Electronics, saying most of Apple’s claims “don’t relate to the core Android” software used in mobile devices.
“The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims,” Mountain View, Calif.- based Google said in the statement. “Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the U.S. Patent Office.”
Google, which lets Samsung — the biggest user of Android — and other mobile-phone manufacturers integrate its Android OS into their handsets at no charge, suffered a setback on Aug. 24, when a California jury awarded the iPhone maker more than $1 billion in damages after finding that Samsung ‘willfully’ violated a series of Apple patents on smartphones and tablet computers.
“The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades,” Google said in the statement. “We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.”
While Google steered clear of strong language, Samsung showed again no such restraint. A new internal memo from the South Korean-based firm re-decrying Apple’s favorable verdict was just published at Samsung Tomorrow. Notable among the memo’s defiant language is the passage questioning the legitimacy of Apple’s design patents.
“History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation.
We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.”
“On Friday, August 24, 2012, the jury verdict in our trial against Apple was announced at the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The following is an internal memo that reflects Samsung’s position regarding the verdict:
We initially proposed to negotiate with Apple instead of going to court, as they had been one of our most important customers. However, Apple pressed on with a lawsuit, and we have had little choice but to counter-sue, so that we can protect our company.
Certainly, we are very disappointed by the verdict at the US District Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA), and it is regrettable that the verdict has caused concern amongst our employees, as well as our loyal customers.
However, the judge’s final ruling remains, along with a number of other procedures. We will continue to do our utmost until our arguments have been accepted.
The NDCA verdict starkly contrasts decisions made by courts in a number of other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Korea, which have previously ruled that we did not copy Apple’s designs. These courts also recognized our arguments concerning our standards patents.
History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation.
We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.”
Meanwhile, Apple chief Tim Cook told employees in a company wide e-mail that the verdict against Samsung, which could lead to an outright ban in the U.S. on the sale of top Samsung products, including Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S3, was about ‘values’.
“For us this lawsuit has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It’s about values”, Cook wrote. “We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy.”
Needless to say, it’s unlikely that Friday’s verdict will be the end of the battle in the $219.1 billion smartphone market between the two tech giants.
What a joke… Samsung, Kia and Hyndai have a knack of ripping of successful brands. It is just that they got their hands caught in the cookie jar.
This would have gone unpunished if not for Steve Job’s feeling ripped of after years of hard work and tears from the Apple team of delivering a truly exceptional product.
It is time some of the copycats anted up to the bar(including Google- Android first tried to copy RIMM than realized that they needed to course correct after the IPHONE launch).
This statement by Samsung is quite funny. They have it backwards. It really reads as something that Apple would have put out.
“History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation. We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.”
Which company has “won the hearts and minds of consumers”? Not Samsung.
Which company has “achieved continuous growth”? Apple.
Which company is well-regarded as the one that is the hallmark of innovation? Again, Apple.
Apple has not always been an innovator. They stole several ideas from various sources in the past. Before Tim Cook talks about ‘values’, he should look back at company’s history once.