Intellectual property can be incredibly valuable. That’s why those who have invented new technologies need to take the steps necessary to protect their work. To see just how important this can be you need look no further than a recent jury verdict involving technology giant Samsung.
Samsung found to have infringed patents
There, Samsung was sued by Solas, a company that creates organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technologies, who claimed that Samsung intentionally infringed on two of its patents that protect features that are fundamental to OLED technology. The lawsuit claimed that Samsung misappropriated the protected technology for use in its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphones. The jury in that case agreed with Solas, finding Samsung liable for nearly $63 million in damages.
Is this just the start?
It very well may be. Solas has other lawsuits pending against Samsung in various forums given the worldwide sales of Samsung’s products. His means that there’s a good chance that Samsung will be found liable for other infringements and will likely be on the hook for more damages.
An illustration of why protection is important
It’s a sad reality that big companies often infringe on protected property, sometimes chalking up the cost of infringement to business expenses. This is unacceptable. This type of infringement can devastate small businesses and individuals who have put in a lot of time, effort, and money into developing new ideas, processes, and technologies. Yet, while you may be able to recover damages when someone infringes on your creation, you can only do so if a patent protects your work.
That’s why it’s critically important that you know how to navigate not only the process involved with obtaining a patent, but also policing it and taking legal action to protect it and recoup losses due to infringement. Fortunately, you don’t have to face that process alone. Skilled intellectual property attorneys, like those at our firm, stand ready to assist you every step of the way.
