Google warned Samsung on copying, documents show
updated 12:45 am EDT, Thu July 26, 2012
Samsung's own emails tell the tale, Apple claims
In the buildup to next week's trial between Apple and Samsung, Apple plans on letting Samsung's own words defeat it in court. An unredacted copy of Apple's court brief says that Samsung was willfully and blatantly violating Apple's design patents, and was fully aware of similarities between the Korean manufacturer's products, and the iPhone and iPad.
Apple says in its brief that "Samsung’s documents show the similarity of Samsung’s products is no accident or, as Samsung would have it, a 'natural evolution.'" Apple adds that the copying "results from Samsung’s deliberate plan to free-ride on the iPhone’s and iPad’s extraordinary success by copying their iconic designs and intuitive user interface. Apple will rely on Samsung’s own documents, which tell an unambiguous story."
During the design process, both Google and a focus group of famous designers allegedly warned Samsung that the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1 were "too similar" to the iPad, and that the Galaxy S smartphone "looked like it copied the iPhone too much." During the designer evaluation, Samsung was warned that the Galaxy S phone was so similar to the iPhone that "[a]ll you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it’s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone."
Samsung is planning on defending itself with some 2006 internal design presentations that outline a mobile user interface similar to what the iPhone boasted six months later. Some internal Apple emails are also being used which Samsung claims suggest that the iPhone hardware was derived from a prior Sony design.
One pre-trial hearing remains before the jury is selected on July 30, primarily discussing rules for exhibit sealing. A hearing on Tuesday reaffirmed Judge Koh's 25-hour limit per side, clarified rules for the jury, and settled other procedural issues for the final stages of the battle that began in September 2011 in the US. [via All Things Digital]
