1 Apple vs. Samsung
Often referred to as the “Smartphone Patent Wars,” this unprecedented dispute between Apple and Samsung kicked off in the spring of 2011, when Apple lodged its first in what’s become a laundry list of patent and design complaints against the South Korean Galaxy maker.
In the years since, this case has evolved to cover a wide range of smaller disputes, as well as counterclaims from both companies, in various levels of the court system — including the U.S. Supreme Court, who intervened at Samsung’s eleventh-hour request and handed down their judgment in June, 2017.
Before that, however, Samsung was ordered in 2012 to pay Apple as much as $1 billion for what the court determined was infringement on a number of iPhone patents, including several covering design, and Apple’s hallmark “pinch-to-zoom” feature.
Meanwhile, in subsequent phases of the trial, the amount Samsung owes Apple has been slashed, repeatedly. The last we heard in this case, Samsung was liable for around $120 million.
Of course, while Apple technically didn’t lose in the end, at the least, this case serves as a stellar example of how costly and time consuming it can be to pursue patent litigation. According to estimates, the patent battle in its entirety has cost upwards of $40 billion to fight thus far — and, at this point, the fight is still ongoing — so we’ll just have to see how it all plays out!