Apple's legal battle against Samsung still isn't over.
Next year, the two companies will face off over damages in the fourth jury trial spawned by Apple's 2011 lawsuit alleging Samsung infringed on Apple's smartphone patents. The series of suits and counter-suits that ensued culminated in an import ban on certain older model Samsung products in 2013. Next year's trial, to be held in March or April, will be held to award damages for the infringement of Apple patents by Samsung products, including the Galaxy S Showcase and Vibrant, according to a scheduling order spotted by Ars Technica.
And it won't even be the first trial on damages. A judge originally ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion, but the amount was later slashed to $600 million.
The irony is that despite being fierce competitors in the smartphone space, Apple and Samsung are also heavily dependent on each other. Apple still relies heavily on Samsung parts, such as processors and displays, despite years of trying to find alternate vendors. Samsung, meanwhile, relies on Apple for much of its manufacturing revenue. Putting this case behind them will be good for both companies.
