Apple Says Verdict Is a Win for Values; Samsung Says It’s a Loss for Consumers

Maybe it was all the rancor built up over months of fighting, but the official corporate responses to Friday’s verdict in the Apple-Samsung patent trial seemed to carry a little more passion than the usual boilerplate.

Apple was duly appreciative of the jury’s work, citing its contribution to a higher cause.

“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 company said in a statement. “The mountain of evidence presented during the trial 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.”

Samsung was downright snarky in its post-verdict shot.

“Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer,” Samsung said in a statement. “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.”

And the company has no plans to roll over. “We will move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn this decision in this court and, if we are not successful, we will appeal this decision to the Court of Appeals,” it said.