Crack smoking, secret emails. Firm denials.
Welcome to Apple V Samsung.
Judge Lucy Koh is not happy. The US Judge presiding in the battle of the patents between Apple and Samsung is so infuriated she accused Apple’s lawyer of “smoking crack” as he called more witnesses – possibly as many as 29 in all – to the stand.
Judge Koh accused Apple’s lawyer of “smoking crack” in the US court yesterday as the long running trial gets heated.
“You’re Honor, I’m not smoking crack,” Apple counsel replied as court attendee Nick Wingfield reported on Twitter.
The case comes as Apple accuse Samsung of violating several patents, including its design, icons, pinch gestures and scroll features. They’re claiming $2.5bn in damages and a ban on the sale of all devices that allegedly violate its patents, including the Nexus, Samsung S II and Galaxy Tab.
Samsung, in turn, accuse Apple of using several of its wireless patents and technology.
Samsung too called several witnesses to take the stand, and although not as many as its Cupertino based foe, it has used up much of its allowed time to put its case before the Californian court. Both parties were alloted around 25 hours.
On Wednesday, Samsung called one of its industrial designers as a witness, who firmly denied the company sought to copy the iPad when it was creating the Galaxy Tab 10.1, and insisted the Korean giant was creating a tablet device long before the iPad was first released in 2010, reports Guardian.
“I really enjoy what I do as a designer,” the Samsung designer told the US court. “I am proud of what I do.”
However, the court also heard how Google warned Samsung that its first Tab 10.1 device was too similar to Apple’s iPad.
Apple lawyer presented emails before the court, which claims to show even Google – makers of the Android OS- believed the Tab 10.1 was too similar to Apple’s design.
“Since it is too similar to Apple, make it noticeably different starting with the front side,” the Android creator told Samsung designers in 2010, it is alleged.
However, Samsung designer Kim Jin Soo denied any knowledge of the emails in court.
As the case reaches its conclusion, Judge Koh has called on the tech giants to make peace, saying “it’s time for peace” but noted the “risks here for both sides.”
The jury is currently hearing rebuttal witness evidence and Judge Koh wants deliberations to kick off August 21.
