back to article You can't put a price on LOVE, says Apple after court's Samsung payout slash

Apple suffered a big legal setback today when a US court reversed part of its patent case against rival Samsung - losing a third of its $930m settlement against the huge Korean chaebol. The US Appeals Court (PDF) found that most of Apple's original infringement claims can stand, but the claim related to the overall look and …

  1. W Donelson

    "The Cupertino idiot tax operation ..."

    Wow. Steve insult you personally?

    1. Shades

      You're obviously new here. You'll soon find out about El Regs relationship with Apple. If this were Farcebook they'd be in a relationship best described as "it's complicated".

      1. David Webb

        I think it can be described more as........

        WHY WON'T THEY CALL US BACK? We were not mean to just them, we're mean to EVERYONE! Apple are sluts.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          We were not mean to just them, we're mean to EVERYONE! Apple are sluts.

          In California everything has to be relentlessly positive. Despite its multinational nature, El Reg is fundamentally English at core - cynical, suspicious, deprecatory. The meeting of the two is a bit like the beam of protons meeting the beam of antiprotons in the LHC, but with more debris.

          However - I have considerable sympathy for Samsung. Mobile phones are a case where the software is dependent on the technology and there is a huge prior art in electronic gadgets. The amount of independent innovation by any one company is probably quite small. It's a matter of who manages to get to the USPTO first.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: We were not mean to just them, we're mean to EVERYONE! Apple are sluts.

            You see, the "patents" aren't patents in the way you think they are. In the UK, we'd call 'em trademark, or in this case, tradedress disputes. The Yanks call these "Design Patents". So prior art doesn't matter. It doesn't figure in the discussion. This fundamental misunderstanding on your, The Registers and frankly most other commentards, part is easy to understand but not to easy to forgive; it's out there on the internet and it's up to you to be informed. Knee jerking on forums like this is far too easy.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: We were not mean to just them, we're mean to EVERYONE! Apple are sluts.

              A downvote. What a surprise. You nerds carry on pretending taht you are always right and that you know best while the rest of the world look on, baffled at your irrelavance...

            2. This post has been deleted by its author

            3. This post has been deleted by its author

            4. Mr.Mischief

              Knee jerking..

              How does that work.

              Or am I doing it wrong?

              1. Green Nigel 42

                Re: Knee jerking..

                Its one off the ankle, so I'm told!

            5. jimbo60

              since when?

              Umm...since when does prior art not apply to design patents? From the USPTO design patent application guide, "The examiner may reject the claim in the application if...a reference or combination of references found in the prior art, shows the claim to be unpatentable."

            6. Saint Gerbil

              Re: We were not mean to just them, we're mean to EVERYONE! Apple are sluts.

              Apple (and I'm sure samsung) seem to patent everything.

              for example using the right material for the job

              http://tech.pro/links/12803/apple-invented-way-to-overcome-one-iphones-biggest-design-hurdles

              Does this mean that they can sue people who wrap their antenna's in plastic rather than metal. Something phones have been doing for 15 years (except the iPhone 4)

    2. Daniel B.
      Happy

      Jagwyre

      The El Reg / Apple love hate thing goes waaay back. That said, El Reg basically mocks every single IT outfit. Remember the Itanic? They really abide by their motto: Biting the hand that feeds IT.

    3. Antonymous Coward
      Gimp

      WTF?

      In an emailed statement Apple tells El Reg...

      OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! WTF? OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!...

      What the hell has happened? Has hell frozen over? Was the statement delivered by a squadron of carrier pigs? Has the Apple's Corporation Inc. finally outgrown its splendid little tantrum? Shirley not?

      I feel strangely disorientated.

      Help me Reg! What the hell just happened?

      1. Martin 47

        Re: WTF?

        Calm down dear, you should note that it doesn't say that it was emailed to el reg.

        I suspect The Reg has found it moire effective to make friend's with GCHQ

        1. Dazed and Confused
          Happy

          Re: WTF?

          If it had been emailed directly to El'Reg is would have made the headlines on the BBC's news page.

          Apple contact The Register!

          in other breaking news hell has frozen over, Russia have agreed to hand over...

          now back to our main story. Apple have...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    So, less than $600 million

    Barely enough to cover legal fees I suspect.

    (Where is the fat-cat lawyer emoticon when you need one??)

  3. Trokair 1

    Bull

    "Even though Samsung must pay for its widespread infringement of our patents, this case has always been about more than money," it said. "It's about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on."

    This is straight up bull on the highest level. Like a puke fountain overflowing on itself this bag of vomit was presumably regurgitated by some PR drone too stupid to recognize their own insipidness before hitting "send". This is all about money, for both companies. Otherwise they wouldn't charge anything for their products. Or in the very least would be not for profit.

    Apple is not the great evil, nor is Samsung some savior but to even read these lines that are so gut wrenchingly void of any truth is nauseating. I'm sure El Reg felt shame by publishing them. I hope your future generations can atone for the crime of publishing this rancid bucket of tripe.

    1. Steve Knox
      Boffin

      Re: Bull

      "It's about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on."

      Since Apple regularly and with little effort puts prices on its products, it follows logically from this statement that (a) they are not innovative, (b) they did not invent their products, and/or (c) people do not love their products.

      So you go ahead and disbelieve Apple's spokesemailer; I'll treat them as the honest, non-innovative, idea-stealing creators of hated products that they're so eager to admit to being.

  4. petur

    correction

    The response from Apple should of course read "this case has always been about more money"

    There, FTFY

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    this case has always been about more than money

    Indeed, it was also about comparing dicks.

  6. Chris Miller

    Another win for the blood-sucking lawyers. Yay!

  7. Thorne

    Acting

    "verdict is a victory for the creative arts"

    So this whole thing was just an act?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Acting

      Indeed. An odd little piece it was too. Part farce, part predictable yet still dark and deeply depressing political thriller.

      I give it 4/10

      Will not be recommending it to my friend

      1. PhilipJ

        Re: Acting

        wait till you see the sequel

        1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

          Re: Acting

          wait till you see the sequel

          Wait 'til you see the gritty reboot directed by Christopher Nolan, where a sullen, conflicted, amoral Apple tangles with a deranged but charismatic and thoughtful Samsung.

  8. Brian 3

    But I thought that once this was over, then they could challenge the validity of the patents?

  9. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    "...inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on"

    Yet they seem to manage to find a price, each and every time, and quite a high one, too.

    Probably they have to sit on a mountaintop naked while they meditate about it.

    1. Dazed and Confused

      Re: "...inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on"

      > Yet they seem to manage to find a price, each and every time, and quite a high one, too.

      But as cosmetic, handbag, fashion etc. companies have proved time and time again. The more money you charge the more your customers love you.

      1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: "...inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on"

        The more money you charge the more your customers love you.

        That's what we call Veblen goods.

        It'd be difficult to support the argument that most Apple products serve as Veblen goods for most buyers. Those consumers appear to be willing to pay a premium for them - on whatever perceived grounds (quality, ease of use, fashion...) - but they're not generally valued primarily for their price as an indicator of the owner's wealth.

    2. D@v3

      Re: "sit on a mountaintop naked"

      "we've got our best man on it"

      (monkey dust)

  10. adam payne

    "It's about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love, which is hard to put a price on."

    They don't seem to have any problems year after year when they release their latest product.

    "Even though Samsung must pay for its widespread infringement of our patents, this case has always been about more than money,"

    No it's all about the money.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They don't seem to have any problems...when they release their latest product.

      I think they do. Remember the iPhone 5c? Nor do I.

  11. graeme leggett Silver badge

    I wonder if Apple's lawyers were up for a bonus set at a percentage of the award.

    In which case it's not all bad news

  12. This post has been deleted by its author

  13. Green Nigel 42
    Headmaster

    True love Apple?, Then is not beauty truth and truth beauty?

    One half of me is yours, the other half yours

    Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,

    And so all yours.

    (The Merchant of Venice, 3.2)

  14. Jeff Lewis

    Ok... I'm hardly a fan of Apple.. but.. "The Cupertino idiot-tax operation"? Really? That's not even a *clever* slag.. it's just outright name-calling.

    Man, first the hysterical paranoia about Windows 10 leading to admission that they're slagging it mainly because everyone else seems to like it and now this.

    There's a difference between perceptive and contrarian, you know.

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