After failing to resolve their differences before a judge and court-ordered mediation ended without a resolution in sight, a jury will now hear the patent disputes between Apple and Samsung.
The trial, which kicks off Monday in San Francisco, is expected to last upwards of a month and will hopefully determine once and for all if Apple can successfully convince the jury that its rival Samsung copied its popular iOS products.
Likewise, Samsung will have to make a case that Apple could never have created its iconic iPhone, iPod touch or iPad without patents owned by the Korean consumer electronics company.
Frenemies
The courtroom saga unearthed a plethora of treats from the usually secretive Apple, including abandoned prototypes of the iPhone and iPad, as well as email exchanges between the two companies.
Samsung claims that an Apple victory could "stifle legitimate competition," and Cupertino already had some modest success in blocking sales of the company's Android-based smartphones and tablets worldwide.
Each company is allowed 20 witnesses, and Apple's lineup includes executives Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall, two of the iPhone maker's most recognizable faces at new product introductions.
Ironically, while Apple and Samsung may be enemies in the courtroom, the two firms continue to do business together - Apple is Samsung's largest customer for LCD panels, flash memory and the chips used to power iOS devices.
Via CNET
