Samsung v. Apple (2011–2018)
Apple sued Samsung in April 2011 over smartphone design and utility patents. The fight ran through courts in the US, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and the EU, with results varying by jurisdiction: a German ban on Samsung tablets in 2011, a $1.049 billion US jury verdict in 2012 that was later reduced.
The German tablet ban was lifted after Samsung modified the product. The US damages award was cut on appeal, and the companies settled in 2018.
The case became the standard example of tech patent wars crossing jurisdictions with inconsistent outcomes, pushing rivals toward settlement.
It shows that a win in one country does not guarantee others, echoing YMTC's mixed German record of two wins and two cases adjourned.
