Curious just who, or what convinced an eight-member jury that Apple deserved an additional $290 million in damages from Samsung in their patent infringement retrial? Well, it seems Certified Public Accountants can be quite persuasive.
Jury forewoman Colleen Allen spoke with Bloomberg after the trial concluded on Thursday, and revealed that it was CPA Julie L. Davis who provided the strongest evidence to justify a $290 million payout to Apple from Samsung. Allen called Davis a “superstar witness,” saying she was “on it” and steady when cross examined.
Allen’s fellow juror Barry Goldman-Hall agreed, saying it was Davis who helped determine exactly how much money Apple should be awarded.
One major point of contention for the jury was the $178 million that Samsung felt should be subtracted from the $230 million in profits the South Korean firm made from infringing products. While forewoman Allen felt nothing should come out, other jurors disagreed, and the group wound up compromising by cutting the sum in half.
The decision to award Apple $290 million in damages from Samsung is seen as a major win for Apple, as the Cupertino firm was looking for up to $380 million, while Samsung wanted to pay only $53 million.
The decision does not signal the end of legal battles between Apple and Samsung, as the two companies are set to once again appear in front of Judge Lucy Koh in March of 2014. At that time, the two sides will argue over possible patent infringement in newer smartphone models, such as the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S III.
Oh, and of course, Samsung says it will be appealing the $290 million award from this week. So… There’s that.
