Judge in Apple v. Samsung battle calls for ‘global peace’

PanARMENIAN.Net - A judge considering whether overturn Apple's billion-dollar patent damages victory over Samsung has called for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between the smartphone titans, Bisuness Insider reports.

"I think it's time for global peace," U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh said after legal teams from Apple and Samsung contested post-verdict motions in her Silicon Valley courtroom for several hours on Thursday.

"Let me hear if there is anything the court can do," she continued. "It would be good for consumers; good for the industry and good for the parties."

Samsung attorney Charles Verhoeven responded to the challenge by saying the South Korean consumer electronics firm was willing to negotiate a settlement with Apple but "the ball is in their court."

Apple attorney Harold McElhinny expressed no interest in working out a settlement, opting instead to urge Koh to back legal "remedies" daunting enough to dissuade a powerhouse like Samsung from ever copying an Apple gadget.

"It is the power of this court to establish a line and enforce it," McElhinny argued. "If you didn't see the same case that the jury saw, I am not sure how we get to resolution."

Verhoeven told Koh that Apple was engaging in "thermo-nuclear war", in reference to a Steve Jobs quote about Google's alleged copying of iOS, and choosing the court instead of the market as the battle ground.