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Samsung says verdict is not an Apple win, but a 'loss for the American consumer' [u]

 

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Minutes after the Apple v. Samsung jury handed down a pro-Apple verdict on Friday, Samsung released a statement decrying the ruling, saying the judgment was less of a win for Apple as it was a loss for consumers.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Apple's remarks regarding Friday's verdict.

In the statement, first reported by The Verge, Samsung hints that while Apple may have won this battle, the war is not yet over as a number of suits are still in play around the world.

From the statement:

Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

Samsung's statement is in response to a verdict which found the company owing over $1.05 billion in damages to Apple for infringing patents related to device design and software.

Apple has also responded in a statement issued to The New York Times, calling the verdict a message that "stealing isn't right."

From Apple's statement:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.