Apple currently claims that they are entitled to a whopping $2.2 billion in damages from South Korean conglomerate Samsung for infringing on five of its patents, simply because the infringement happened during a time where the smartphone market experienced extremely rapid expansion. In U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., Christopher Vellturo, who is an economist and also Apple’s damages expert, touts that this patent infringement would encompass over 37 million smartphones and tablets that were sold by Samsung in the U.S. from August 2011 to the end of last year, where the total revenue generated by those devices remains undisclosed because it is deemed as “confidential”.
Vellturo took to the stands to testify during the fifth day of the most recent trial in Apple’s long-running patent feud with Samsung. Apple’ lawyers did question Vellturo, and he mentioned that the $2.2 billion damages claim is justified due to the length of the infringement, citing that the smartphone market was “in a profound state of change and growth because so many people are coming in and buying phones.”
If the court were to rule in favor of Apple, it would certainly damage Samsung’s coffers by some margin, considering how they were already ordered to pay Apple $1 billion in damages before. We told you that this showdown in court would make the headlines again.