Texas Jury Orders Samsung to Pay $142 Million in Patent Infringement Case

A Texas federal jury has ruled in favour of G+ Communications LLC in a patent infringement case against Samsung Electronics, ordering the tech giant to pay a substantial sum of $142 million.

G+ Communications LLC, a Texas-based entity, filed a legal suit against Samsung, alleging that it infringed upon two of its patents essential for 5G wireless standards. The patents, which are critical by international standards organizations, are integral to enabling devices to comply with 5G wireless standards.

The patents in question were originally assigned to ZTE Corporation (ZTE), with G+ acquiring them subsequently. Specifically, G+ identified several Samsung products, such as the Galaxy Note20 5G, Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Galaxy S21 5G, Galaxy A Series 5G, and Galaxy Z Fold2 5G devices, as infringing upon its patents.

On the other hand, Samsung denied the allegations put forth by G+. It contested the validity of the patents in question and argued that G+ had failed to offer licenses on fair and reasonable terms which are mandated by standards organizations. Samsung argued that it did not infringe upon G+'s patents and refuted any claims of wrongdoing.

Following the initial trial, the jury ruled that Samsung should pay $67.5 million in running royalties for past sales of products found to have infringed upon two of the three patents at issue. However, Chief U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap subsequently ordered a new trial to reassess the damages, stating a few concerns about jury confusion regarding the form of the reasonable royalty.

Following deliberations, the jury held that Samsung infringed upon two patents owned by G+ Communications LLC, which are fundamental to the advancement of 5G wireless technology. As a result of this infringement, the jury found Samsung liable for damages totalling $142 million.

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