With a mediation session failing to bring Samsung and Apple to common ground, it looks like the only common ground both companies can agree to is the court. Both companies will go to court sometime soon, with the jury for Apple’s and Samsung’s second patent case having been selected, reports 9to5Mac. It might have taken longer than expected to select a jury due to several potential jurors being dismissed in the fears of them showing possible bias.
This time around, the disputed pertain to more software rather than hardware, which is what the last trial dealt with. Apple, which seeks $2 billion in damages, points to several Samsung phones and tablets it says violates up to five Apple patents. Samsung, meanwhile, counter-claims that Apple devices violate two of its patents. Google is expected to play a bigger role in this latest patent case between the two companies, since it is its Android mobile operating system that powers Samsung devices.
As far as the jury is concerned, it is composed of six women and four men. One of them is a former IBM manager, one is an accountant, another a police department community service officer, and there’s even a plumber. The court found it almost impossible to kick off jurors simply because they owned products from either company due to the tough task of finding unbiased jurors in Silicon Valley. It is reported that most own at least one Apple device, though some also own Samsung TVs.
Today is the trial’s opening day, and Apple will use its Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller as its first witness. It is expected that the trial will last roughly one month, though that’s just an estimate.
