A federal jury in Marshall, Texas, ordered Samsung Electronics to pay Collision Communications approximately $445.5 million for infringing patents related to 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi network technology. The ruling is one of the largest patent judgments in recent years against a South Korean technology conglomerate.
A jury has ruled that Samsung’s Galaxy phones, laptops and other wireless products employ technology that infringes four patents owned by Collision Communications. The verdict was reached after a four-and-a-half day trial and two hours of jury deliberation. The case was presided over by Rodney Gilstrap, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas who is known for handling large-scale patent litigation.
Jury rules Samsung copied Collision’s network technology
Collision claims Samsung devices used its technology without permission or payment for the right to use it. The company said Samsung became very popular by using technology that did not belong to it. At the same time, Collision struggled for years to bring the same technology to market on its own.
The jury considered evidence from Samsung’s own emails and technical documents showing that Samsung knew about Collision’s patents long before the lawsuit. From 2011 to 2014, the two companies discussed the possibility of a business partnership and licensing agreement regarding this patented technology.
Witnesses said the tech giant’s engineers and managers clearly understood the value of the technology, even praising its ability to reduce interference and increase data speeds. These features could make Samsung products more competitive, but the company walked away from discussions without signing any contracts or paying technology fees. The company continued to release devices using the same patented system.
The jury awarded Collision Communications $445,484,160 in damages. The imposition of running royalties means that samsung If we continue to sell cell phones, laptops, or other devices that utilize the same technology, we may be responsible for additional payments in the future.
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Collision Communications fought for more than a decade to protect its invention from Samsung Electronics. Brad Caldwell, principal attorney at Caldwell, Cassady & Curry in Dallas, said the victory represents recognition and respect for honest and hard work. He explained that Collision’s founders have invested not only their time but a significant portion of their savings and energy into developing the technology and keeping it alive through years of challenges.
Caldwell said the trial was one of the most difficult his team had worked on, and much of its effort was spent simplifying some complex concepts about how to do it. wireless signal For the jury to understand, it is transmitted between wireless phones, cell phone towers, and routers. His team worked for months to write clear explanations that made the science easier to understand.
Samsung’s lawyers, Victoria F. Maroulis and Sean Pack of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, denied the claims and argued that the patent was invalid. They said the smartphone maker’s own engineers were developing their own version of the technology and were not copying Collision’s work.
The jury found that the high-tech company committed willful infringement because it knew of the invention but continued to use it. Samsung and its lawyers have not yet publicly commented on the matter, but the decision could be appealed.
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