SAN JOSE (MEDIA )
Samsung knew Apple’s iPhone would be a big seller when it first went on the market, but the South Korean company didn’t have a product that could compete so it stole Apple’s technology, an attorney for Apple told jurors on Tuesday.
“The evidence in this case will be Samsung copied the iPhone,” Apple lawyer Harold McElhinny said during his opening statement in the latest patent fight between the world’s largest cellphone manufacturers.
Samsung, which accuses Apple of stealing its ideas, was expected to make its opening statement later in the day. The trial in federal court in San Jose marks the latest round in a long-running series of lawsuits between the two tech giants over mobile devices.
If Apple prevails in the current case, the cost to Samsung could reach $2 billion. Apple’s costs, if it loses the litigation, were expected to be about $6 million.
McElhinny asked jurors to remember where they were on Jan. 9, 2007, and showed a video of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone in San Francisco.