Samsung appeals $548M Apple patent verdict to the U.S. Supreme Court

While there is no guarantee that the Supreme Court will hear Samsung's case, it is the South Korean firm's last chance for a victory. Samsung has been at least partially rebuffed at every level of the justice system since first losing a patent infringement judgement in 2012.

"Samsung is escalating this case because it believes that the way the laws were interpreted is not in line with modern times," the company said in a statement provided to Reuters.

The petition continues with much the same refrain used by Samsung throughout the years-long legal battle.

"A patented design might be the essential feature of a spoon or rug. But the same is not true of smartphones, which contain countless other features that give them remarkable functionality wholly unrelated to their design," it reads.

If accepted, it would be the first design patent case heard by the Supreme Court in more than a century.