When Is A Billion Dollars Not A Billion Dollars?

U.S. Judge Reduces Apple Award in Samsung Lawsuit - WSJ.com. After Judge Lucy Koh reduced the Apple jury award against Samsung from a Billion Dollars to 500 Million yesterday, the pundits were calling it a victory for Samsung. However, all she really did is order a new trial on damages for the remaining claims. A new jury might decide on more than 500 million for the affected claims, or they might go for less. Such goes the world of high stakes patent litigation, which never ends. Next comes the obligatory appeals, which might turn the whole case on its ear. In a few years, that is. By that time, we will be looking at a new world in which Samsung still dominates the cell phone market. Samsung's victory is being won in the trenches, as millions of smartphones are sold worldwide. What is clear from this ruling is that the Judge is giving both parties some incentive to do a global settlement. She has been vocal in pushing the parties to put their guns back in their holsters and to pursue settlement. Perhaps sanity will prevail. But, don't bet on it.