A judge has carefully selected 10 people to hear arguments in a bitter, multibillion-dollar patent battle between Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
Last year, Apple sued Samsung for purportedly copying its iPhone and iPad. Samsung countersued, and the prolonged patent fight over mobile devices began. Experts say Apple’s lawsuit against Samsung is a proxy battle against Google Inc., as Samsung’s smartphones and tablets run on Google’s Android operating system.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh spent several hours questioning more than 30 prospective jurors about a variety of issues, including their cell phone choices, how the recession has affected them, their experience with the legal system and whether they have connections to Apple, Samsung, Google or Google’s Motorola Mobility unit. Judge Koh’s goal was to choose jurors who didn’t have biases toward either Apple or Google, which both employ thousands of people in Northern California and are headquartered just a few miles away from the Northern District of California courthouse.
In the end, Judge Koh selected seven men and three women to hear the case. The group includes an insurance agent, an unemployed video-game enthusiast, a project manager for AT&T Inc., a store operations manager for a cycling retailer, a systems engineer, and a benefits and payroll manager. A Google employee and an Apple employee didn’t make it onto the jury, and neither did a few holders of technology patents.
Opening arguments are expected to begin today, and the trial is expected to last four weeks, according to Thomson Reuters.
Read more InsideCounsel stories about Apple’s patent wars:
ITC to review patent ruling against Apple
Judge to hear arguments in Apple patent case against Motorola Mobility
Apple tries to bar sale of new Samsung phone
Apple gains ground in patent suit against Google’s mobile operating system
Mobile device makers wage antitrust wars
Samsung, Apple continue patent dispute
