Just hours after the Apple vs. Samsung patent case verdict was released, Apple issued a statement to the New York Times regarding the result. Apple reiterated their main case point in this statement, saying that “stealing isn’t right.” Samsung also released a statement after the verdict, taking the obvious standpoint that this decision is “a loss for the American consumer.”

First, Apple’s statement:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

Apple has clearly won this lawsuit, with damages just exceeding 1 billion dollars to be paid to them from Samsung. Apple’s main point right throughout the case was that their years of work to make the iPhone reality was almost immediately cloned by Samsung. This same point has remained right throughout the statement, with Apple expressing its belief in the decision, which is a “clear message” against stealing.

Samsung’s statement takes quite the opposite approach:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

The patent system has been criticised for a while now, and Samsung has opted to follow this route, with it’s most significant quote being “today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer.” They express their disapproval of the decision right throughout the statement, finishing with “Samsung will continue to innovate.” Their definition of ‘innovate’ may puzzle many, who firmly believe that Samsung have been ruthlessly copying Apple’s designs for years now.

It would be interesting to see how these statements would look if the outcome of the case had been inverted, with Samsung emerging as the winner. Would Apple criticise the patent system and give a bleak outlook on technology in America? Would Samsung praise the system for encouraging ‘innovation’?

We will never know the answer to this question, but this lawsuit is now finally over, and hopefully once the rest of the news regarding the case blows over, we can focus again on talking about technology, and not who’s copying who.

Related articles

• Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages following jury decision (apple24seven.com)
• BREAKING: Verdict reached in Apple v. Samsung patent trial (phandroid.com)
• That was fast: Jury reaches a verdict on Apple/Samsung (venturebeat.com)