After Legal Victory, Apple Patently Rules in Mobile Devices

Apple wasn't the only winner in court. Nor was Samsung the only loser. The big loser may have been Google.

In effect, Apple has been fighting a proxy war against the search giant by going after makers of devices running Google's Android mobile operating system—including Samsung, and Motorola Mobility. They now are fighting directly since Google acquired Motorola in May. Granted, the case doesn't strike a mortal blow at Samsung's mobile business—the Korean giant can absorb damage costs and engineer around patents it was found to violate—but the verdict does give Apple more momentum. It is suing Android makers in multiple countries and has already scored other legal victories establishing that devices running Android violate its patents. Ultimately, Apple appears to want Android makers to redesign their devices so more features are unique to the iPhone.