killer_roach wrote on Aug 25, 2012, 17:53:

Mr. Tact wrote on Aug 25, 2012, 17:13:
Anyone paying close enough attention to know if Apple's patent suit is anywhere close to having merit? Or is it just normal stupid patent law that would have been thrown out before the trial started if common sense prevailed?

From what I know of patent law, most (if not all) of the patents at the core of the lawsuit should have been invalidated on the basis of prior art (then again, Judge Koh did all she could to bar evidence of this from the trial), obviousness, or triviality.

However, there's a reason why Apple filed the case where they did - Lucy Koh has a long-standing track record of delivering pro-Apple verdicts in lawsuits. I just hope Samsung, on appeal, requests the case be heard before Richard Posner in Chicago, who is likely to throw the case out and invalidate the patents in question.

As it currently stands, so long as the patents are upheld as valid, pretty much no company can make a smartphone or tablet without getting explicit permission from Apple. Scary stuff.