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Samsung Must Pay Swatch Group US$11.6 Million over ‘Knock-Off’ Smartwatch Faces
The judge said Samsung’s app store role went beyond a passive platform, and around 160,000 downloads were tied to the disputed watch faces.
- On Wednesday, a London High Court judge ordered Samsung Electronics to pay Swatch Group $11.6 million for unlawfully hosting smartwatch apps that copied luxury watch designs on its Galaxy App Store.
- Around 30 third-party applications available between 2015 and 2019 infringed on 23 Swatch trademarks, including Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Longines, and Tissot, though Samsung did not develop the apps itself.
- Swatch Group initially sought approximately $170 million in damages; the court awarded around $10 million for trademark display, rejecting Samsung's claim that it gained only $300 from the apps.
- Judge Marcus Smith called the infringement "very damaging," comparing it to counterfeit products on supermarket shelves; Samsung Electronics said Thursday it is considering "all possible countermeasures, including an appeal."
- The ruling establishes that technology companies may face legal consequences for third-party content violating protected trademarks on platforms they control, potentially becoming a reference point for app store liability.
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18 Articles
18 Articles
What a blunt blow Samsung receives because of a judge's ruling in London over the copying of smartwatches spheres illegally
·Madrid, Spain
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Samsung must pay Swatch Group US$11.6 million over ‘knock-off’ smartwatch faces
The digital watch faces mimicked designs from brands including Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet and Blancpain, with a London judge ruling that their presence on Samsung’s app store damaged Swatch Group’s interests.
·Singapore, Singapore
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left2Leaning Right8Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Right
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources lean Right
62% Right
15%
C 23%
R 62%
Factuality
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