Edible Apple

After three weeks, the Samsung/Apple litigation has come to a close. Each side was given 25 hours to plead their case, and in addition to hundreds of exhibits, the jury will now be tasked with reaching a verdict following closing arguments which are set for next Tuesday.

All Things D notes:

Apple has sued Samsung for violating several patents as well as infringing on several protected design elements, known as “trade dress.” Samsung denies those charges and has countersued Apple for infringing on three feature patents as well as some core wireless patents.

The jury will have to unanimously agree that a particular patent is valid and infringed by a particular device in order for a finding of infringement. There are dozens of different phones and tablets at issue in the case, in addition to the many patents.

In a way, it will be sad to see this case end as it has provided Apple watchers with a unique glimpse into the inner workings of Apple. From Apple’s interest in a 7-inch iPad to all of those photos of iPhone and iPad prototypes, the trial has been an absolute goldmine for those who can’t get enough of all things Apple.

All told, Apple is suing Samsung for $2.5 billion on account of its alleged patent infringement. Towards the end of trial, however, Samsung brought up its own expert – accountant Michael Wagner – who explained that even if Samsung is infringing, damages should be in the $400-$500 million range since Apple’s damages expert did not take into account many of the expenses incurred by Samsung in selling its allegedly infringing devices, including things such as marketing costs.

Also discussed is how much Apple should pay Samsung should the jury find Apple guilty of infringement. One Apple expert said damages in that event would come out to $22.8 million while Samsung’s expert, not surprisingly, came up with a figure of $399 million. Notably though, some of the patents being wielded by Samsung have not been used by Samsung to collect royalties from any other company.