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SCOTUS Gives Samsung a Victory Over Apple

$399 million copyright award reduced.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed Samsung a victory in its legal battle against Apple, which accused its rival phone manufacturer of copying the design of the iPhone. A jury had previously awarded Apple $399 million, after it ruled that Samsung had copied some of the iPhone's shape and appearance. But in a uninimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Samsung did not owe Apple losses for the full cost of the phone; rather just for the elements that had been ruled to infringe copyright. The decision, written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, will likely mean a reduced award for Apple. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will decide how much of the original $399 million award Samsung must pay.