Apple sent quite a shockwave throughout the tech industry last year after being awarded the total of $1 billion from rival smartphone maker Samsung for patent infringement.
Now the two electronics giants head back to court to re-examine the award judgement after the original jury in California incorrectly calculated some of the damages. Though Apple originally sought $2.5 billion from Samsung, Judge Lucy Koh said that $550 million of the $1 billion judgement was properly calculated. The remaining $450 has yet to be reassessed however.
The patent infringement case centers around Apple's accusation that Samsung copied designs for both iPhone and iPad bodies, along with user-interface elements. Samsung unsuccessfully countersued for $519 million stating that it was already working on a rounded rectangular headset featuring a single button and full touch screen display.
Apple also originally wanted Samsung to be barred from selling some of its current devices in the U.S. The iPhone maker may get another shot at it at a larger trial scheduled for March 2014. While the previous trial focused on products several years old and no longer sold domestically, next year's court battle on newer devices on the market.
News comes as Samsung ended the last quarter with 81 million devices shipped, making the company the world's to seller of smartphones. During that same quarter, Apple was placed second with 34 million iPhones shipped and 13 percent of the market share.
In speaking with Fox News, appeals are expect regardless of the outcome, according to Stanford University law school professor Mark Lemley.
"This trial is just about money," said Lemley. "Though several hundred million dollars are at stake, that isn't going to make or break either of the companies involved. But the trial is also the last step in getting this case ready for the inevitable appeal...That appeal will have broader ramifications."
Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder told BBC recently that he wished the two companies would cross license technology as "all our products would be better."
