Apple CEO Tim Cook stresses values, innovation in post-trial remarks

While the letter to employees lifts some of its lines from the official response Apple issued after Friday's verdict, Cook mixes in a little emotion, saying the win over Samsung is important for inventors and innovators everywhere, reports All Things D.

The Apple v. Samsung jury found Samsung guilty of infringing upon a number of Apple design and software patents, ultimately awarding damages of nearly $1.05 billion to the Cupertino company.

The ruling came one year to the day after late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, then in the twilight of his life, announced Cook would replace him as CEO.

In his memo, Cook said the lawsuit was leveled "reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying [Apple's] work," a sentiment the company argued during the trial. Apple offered as evidence a presentation it made to Samsung in 2010, which outlined the various patents thought to be infringed upon by the Korean electronics giant's smartphones.

The CEO made special note of Apple's ethos, and pointed out the lawsuit was less about money and patents than it was about values. "We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth," he said.

Cook was "thrilled to finally have the opportunity to tell" Apple's story, a statement perhaps alluding not only to the company's role in the landmark case, but its history of innovation as well.

He concluded by thanking his employees, extolling them for the work they do, and proclaimed, "Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens."

Cook's memo in full (as first published by 9to5Mac):

Today was an important day for Apple and for innovators everywhere.

Many of you have been closely following the trial against Samsung in San Jose for the past few weeks. We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work. For us this lawsuit has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It's about values. We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the jury who invested their time in listening to our story. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung's copying went far deeper than we knew.

The jury has now spoken. We applaud them for finding Samsung's behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right.

I am very proud of the work that each of you do.

Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens.

Tim