Apple-Samsung Copy Case Hinges On Cheech, Chong Test

Apple’s claim that Samsung copied the design of the iPhone may hinge on what a U.S. trade judge described as the “Cheech and Chong test.” “Does it look like it, feel like it, smell like it?”

U.S. International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender said at the beginning of Apple’s patent-infringement trial against Samsung, referring to a routine in which the comedy duo identified dog feces. Apple contends Samsung’s phones and Galaxy Tab tablet computer copy designs on the look and front face of the iPhone, and they also infringe patents related to the user interface and headset plugs. Apple is asking the ITC to block imports of Samsung products that violate Apple’s patent rights.