Apple, Samsung Deliver Closing Arguments

The stakes are high for both companies, which have been waging a legal battle in the U.S. District Court of Northern California since late July after failing repeatedly to settle their disputes through executive talks. Apple is seeking more than $2.5 billion in damages from Samsung, while Samsung is seeking nearly $22.8 million for one set of patents and up to $399 million in royalties for its high-speed data technologies, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Apple's lead lawyer, Harold McElhinny, reiterated during closing arguments Tuesday that Samsung, which has risen to become the largest smartphone maker in the world, infringed on multiple Apple patents, ranging from the basic look and feel of the iPad to the icons used on its mobile user interface.

[Related: Samsung To Spend Billions On Austin-Based Mobile Chip Plant ]

"The damages should be large because the infringement has been massive," McElhinny told the 10-person jury.

Referencing internal Samsung documents that allegedly suggest the company had a road map for copying certain features of Apple's iPhone, McElhinny hammered home his argument that Samsung's Android-based Galaxy smartphones and tablets were designed specifically to mimic Apple's iPad and iPhone. "These appearances are indelibly associated with Apple," he said.

Charles Verhoeven, the lead lawyer for Samsung, denied McElhinny's claims, arguing that Apple was trying to crush fair competition in the marketplace. "Consumers deserve a choice," he told jurors, rehashing evidence meant to show how Samsung and Apple devices differ.

Apart from awarded damages, the outcome of the Apple-Samsung case will have wider implications on the industry as a whole, explained Cheryl Milone, founder and CEO of Article One Partners, an online patent validation and research community. If Apple is successful in proving its case that Samsung intentionally infringed on its mobile designs, smartphones and tablets will likely start looking drastically different from one another, as OEMs try to avoid accusations of infringement.

To win, however, Apple needs to prove it was harmed by Samsung's alleged infringement, a task that could be difficult given the Cupertino, Calif.-based giant's booming stock and stellar sales figures.

"If Apple succeeds in keeping Samsung at bay, industry designs will diverge and strengthen Apple’s market advantage," Milone wrote in a research note. "Even with the case trending to support design patent infringement by Samsung, success requires proof on damages as well."

Meanwhile, if Samsung prevails, there will likely be a convergence of mobile device design, as OEM fears of legal retribution are diminished.

Milone predicted the case will continue even after the jury reaches a verdict, as the party found guilty will most likely appeal.

PUBLISHED AUG. 22, 2012