Apple Files Supplemental Bill Asking Samsung To Pay $180 Million More

It ain’t over ‘till it’s over. Several weeks after Apple and Samsung came into agreement regarding the specific amount the latter will pay for infringing iPhone patents and designs, Apple has filed a supplemental bill, in effect asking the South Korean tech giant to pay an extra $180 million in additional damages and interest, as first reported by Florian Mueller on his blog. 

The payment in question, of course, alludes to the trial which ended more than three years ago. It turned out that two of the biggest mobile giants in the world were not only fighting for market share in the smartphone market, they were also fighting in court over patents and designs. In the end, a jury ultimately decided that Samsung was indeed in violation of patent laws and had the South Korean phone maker pay Apple $1 billion, which later eroded to nearly half the original amount.

More than a week ago, it was reported that Samsung had decided to take its patent case to the United States Supreme Court. On the request it officially filed, the company argued that the case will set a precedent that could hinder innovation of technology in the future because companies are now hesitant to explore new tech for fear of being slapped with a lawsuit over patents and designs. As of this writing, the US Supreme Court has not yet decided if it will accept the case for review or dismiss it.

In 2014, Apple and Samsung had agreed that they would end all patent cases outside the United States. But with regards to lawsuits in America, it appears that both parties are not willing to let anything rest yet. The latest legal contest between the two is just another example of how competitive their history has been in the last decade, not only in the market but also in legal aspects. Still, one can not deny that whoever wins the case may hold an advantage over the other because the losing side will certainly not be able to be as free in releasing products for fear of infringing on yet another patent. Interestingly, Samsung remains a supplier of chip sets and display screens for Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices. Technically, they are partners in business, but when it comes to the court and in the industry, they are fierce arch enemies who want nothing more than to see the other one go down.