Apple’s Legal Thriller Gains a New Chapter

The jury in question found in an August 24 hearing that Samsung infringed on six Apple patents.

CHEAT SHEET Analysis: Will This Development Move the Companies’ Stock?

The short answer is: unlikely. The two companies are waging patent warfare on four continents, each trying to claim larger and larger pieces of the over $200-billion global smartphone market. Apple’s stock decline from its high in September is well documented, but the movement of its stock price is predicated on more than legal-battle catalysts.

Samsung has much more riding on this case, and stands to avoid the downside risk of the fine and sales ban if its argument is found invalid.

U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh, who presided over the case, has scheduled a hearing on December 6 to weigh Apple’s bid for a permanent U.S. sales ban on eight Samsung smartphones and the Tab 10.1 tablet, as well as the Seagate issue.

A U.S. District Court in Wisconsin recently threw out a lawsuit filed by Apple against Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) over the alleged infringement of patents related to the iOS and Android mobile operating systems.

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