Apple awarded $539m in US patent case against Samsung

Apple won $539 million from Samsung Electronics in the final throes of the companies' U.S. court struggle over smartphone technology, seven years after the start of a global patent battle.

The legal fight has progressed through multiple rounds since Apple sued Samsung in 2011, claiming it stole key elements of the iPhone’s design — and it likely isn't over. Meanwhile, the explosion in smartphone use has benefited both companies enormously, with Apple’s huge iPhone profits helping make it the world’s most valuable company. The jury's new award is equivalent to only about 3.5 days of Apple's net profit in the first three months of this year.

In a statement, Apple said it was pleased that the members of the jury "agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products."

"This case has always been about more than money," the tech giant said, adding that it was important that it continued to protect the "hard work and innovation of so many people at Apple".

The Apple verdict is the third-largest U.S. jury award in 2018 so far, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It's the biggest damages award for a patent case this year, followed by a $502.6 million verdict that Apple lost in Texas to VirnetX Inc. in April.

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