Most U.S. consumers disagree with verdict in Samsung-Apple case

WP columnist says Apple should lose possible appeal from Samsung


A survey in the U.S. showed that more than half of young American consumers have a skeptical view over a California federal jury’s recent verdict that Samsung violated Apple’s mobile patents.

The Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal cited a poll conducted by CouponCodes4U on 2,125 consumers aged between 18 and 30 who said they owned neither an Apple nor Samsung smartphone product.

“About 55 percent of the respondents said they disagreed with the jury’s verdict,” according to the survey. “Only 41 percent said yes (they agreed).”

Among those who said they regarded the verdict as unreasonable, 71 percent said it was “unfair,” 53 percent said it “hindered” creativity and innovation and 21 percent said it was an example of Apple taking over in the world of tech.

Among those who responded that they agreed with the jury, 63 percent said they felt Samsung had stolen designs from Apple and 48 percent said that Samsung phones and products were of lower quality and design than iPhones.

In addition, 78 percent said the ruling would not put them off purchasing Samsung products in future, but 52 percent said they would rather buy an Apple product over one from Samsung.

About one out of every five respondents, or 19 percent, said the month-long trial had made them more brand-conscious.

In late August, a California federal jury ordered Samsung Electronics to pay the iPhone maker $1.05 billion in compensation, saying the Korean company infringed some of Apple’s patents for mobile devices.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post ran a column titled “Why Apple needs to lose the Samsung appeal,” written by Indian-American technology entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa.

“Fledgling startups have to constantly worry about big companies such as Apple or Samsung ― or worst of all ― a patent troll, bankrupting them with a frivolous lawsuit,” he said.

Wadhwa said that research has shown between 1990 and 2010, patent lawsuits have caused a loss of $500 billion in wealth and forced U.S. companies to divert substantial resources from production to litigation support.

He also said he hopes that Apple loses should Samsung appeal.

He is vice president of Academics and Innovation at Singularity University and of Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University.

The world’s two major smartphone manufacturers also have a partnership with Samsung Electronics supplying display panels and chips for Apple’s iPhone and iPad products.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)