Apple, Samsung resume patent battle in Australian courts
American tech giant Apple and South Korean electronics giant Samsung resumed their legal battle in Australian courts on Monday.
Apple argues that Samsung has infringed on nineteen of its patents in developing its nine smartphones and two tablet computers. On the other hand, Samsung claims that Apple has infringed on a number of its patents in developing its iPhones and iPads.
Two justices, viz. Justice Annabelle Bennett and Justice David Yates heard the initial case together. Justice Bennett has heard the Apple-Samsung case since hearings started in 2011.
Last year, Justice Bennett had pointed out the necessity of introducing a second judge to hear the Apple-Samsung case, citing the complex patents and huge piles of documents involved in the trial.
However, some experts have raised concerns over the two-judge system. Senior patent lawyer Mark Summerfield acknowledged that the Apple-Samsung case was unprecedented in its length and complexity, but added that a two-judge system could be hard to decode in case the judgments differ.
Speaking on the topic, Summerfield said, "I would assume at first instance there can only be a single judgment; it wouldn't do you any good to have two judgments written and perhaps conflict with each other because you have no way of splitting them."
Samsung has also renewed a lawsuit against the Cupertino, California-based iPhone/iPad-maker in a separate case with the Australian patent commissioner, in a bid to potentially invalidate some of Apple's patents.
The two tech giants have been locked in patent battles in courts in many countries of the world in order to block each other's products from sale.
