Patent war: Who gained and who lost in Apple-Samsung dispute?

Apple's landmark victory over Samsung in the patent infringement case affirms the company's claim that some of the key Android features violate Apple's patents. The triumph is expected to set new precedents in the booming smartphone market and may bring about a paradigm shift in the industry.

The verdict, however, is not only a victory for Apple and a defeat for Samsung. The judgment is sure to affect many more players and stakeholders in the industry. So, wondering who gained and who lost in this Apple-Samsung dispute? Read on to find out.

Loser: Samsung

Little surprisingly, the biggest loser is the South Korean giant Samsung. Samsung reputation will take a hit globally as the company has been branded a 'cheat' by the trial verdict. It is clear that the South Korean company will have to hold off new launches in the US at least and make some drastic design changes in its devices to approach the market.


Apart from the $1.05 billion compensation that it has to give to Apple, the decline in stock value in the weeks to come will also affect the manufacturer. Apart from the damages to be paid to Apple as well as fall in market capitalisation, the requirement to make design changes in the upcoming gadgets too has a financial cost attached.

Also read: How Apple overwhelmed Samsung's patent case tactics

Loser: Google

The trial verdict will hurt Google quite a bit as the company uses the Android platform to push its search ads on the mobile platform. If manufacturers become risk averse and shy away from Android and seek other operating systems, Google's reach as the native search engine on its mobile OS may be decreased by a substantial margin, thus hurting its bottom line.

Loser: Android

Android is the world's most popular mobile operating system and has a huge marketplace that boasts of over 600,000 apps. Google will have to find alternatives to features like pinch-to-zoom, rubber band effect during scrolling and double tapping to zoom features on this platform, as these violate Apple's patents.

Also read: How Apple's win may help Samsung cement leadership in smartphone market

Moreover, Android will suffer heavily if smartphone manufacturers become wary of Apple's potential lawsuits against companies making Android-based phones.

Loser: Smartphone manufacturers

Manufacturers who use Google's Android as the operating system of choice for their smartphones will be worried about litigation from Apple. Many may decide to hold off new launches till Apple's next move is determined. They will be concerned that if the Cupertino-based tech giant decides to file a case against them, they would end up paying billions like Samsung.

The other alternative will be to license the patents from Apple and pay a certain amount for each device sold. This will push the price of Android devices higher, thus hitting their profits.

Winner: Apple

No guesses for this, the biggest winner of the patent battle is Apple. This victory will once again establish Apple as the most innovative technology company in the world.




The company will now be confident of asking licensing fee from Android phone manufacturers, which will help it boost profits. Moreover, if top end Samsung phones are banned by judge Lucy Koh in the coming weeks, Apple may even see slightly higher sales in the US market.

Winner: Innovation at Samsung

Now that it has been adjudged that Samsung violated Apple's patents, the former will have to reinvent some of the features that will ensure consistent user experience on its Galaxy range. This will provide Samsung the opportunity to show that it is not a copier, but can also innovate.

Winner: Other OSes

This verdict will help stimulate the development of mobile operating systems that have been sidelined by Android's robust growth. OSes like Bada, MeeGo, Windows 8, Firefox OS etc will get more attention from manufacturers who will be concerned about Apple's patent violated by Google's operating system. This will mean more options for the buyers, even though developing thousands of apps for each platform will take a lot of time.