Judge to Samsung: You Can’t Use Sci-Fi Films as Evidence in Court
by Jamie Condliffe at gizmodo.com
Samsung has a tough time on its hands battling Apple over tablet patents. But in the process of fighting hard, it seems to have made some questionable calls when it comes to choosing evidence—including the use of sci-fi footage to prove its case.
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Judge to Samsung: You Can’t Use Sci-Fi Films as Evidence in Court
Samsung has a tough time on its hands battling Apple over tablet patents. But in the process of fighting hard, it seems to have made some questionable calls when it comes to choosing evidence—including the use of sci-fi footage to prove its case.
Samsung had hoped that it could use footage from 2001: A Space Odyssey and the UK television show The Tomorrow People as evidence. Verge reports that both the film and TV show feature characters using tablet devices, which the company hoped would constitute “prior art”: pre-existing creations that question the originality of Apple’s patents.
The problem is that, while Samsung introduced the footage into the case in 2011, it had never disclosed the fact it intended to use them to argue Apple’s patents were invalid. As a result, Judge Lucy Koh has ruled that the video can’t be used as evidence. Elsewhere, a 1994 tablet designed by Roger Fidler and the Compaq TC1000 are off the table as evidence, as well as that rather wacky Sony-style iPhone. Better hope what’s left of your evidence is good, Samsung. [Apple vs Samsung Order via Verge]