Samsung has been ordered to pay Swatch Group $11.6 million after London’s High Court found that digital watch faces available through its app store infringed trademarks belonging to the Swiss watchmaker.
The case involved apps that mimicked designs associated with brands including Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet and Blancpain. Swatch had sought around $170 million in damages, while Samsung argued that compensation should be limited to a nominal $300.
Most of the award, amounting to $10 million, related to the display of Swatch brand names on Samsung’s Galaxy app store. The judge said the availability of low-cost or free digital copies was damaging to the value and exclusivity of the luxury brands, comparing the app store to a physical retailer displaying copycat products on its shelves.
The apps were created by third-party developers and downloaded around 160,000 times in the UK and EU. However, Samsung was found liable because it controlled the app review process and promoted smartwatch faces.
Samsung said it was considering all possible countermeasures, including an appeal. Swatch said the ruling recognised the scale and significance of the infringements. Separate proceedings in the United States remain on hold pending developments in England.
via FT
