▲ Swatch
A UK court has ruled that Samsung Electronics must pay $11.6 million (approx. 16.1 billion won) in damages to the Swatch Group, stating that the company caused harm by allowing the distribution of smartwatch screen designs imitating Swiss watch brand products.
According to Bloomberg and the UK daily Financial Times on the 26th (local time), the High Court in London reached this verdict in a lawsuit where the Swatch Group, which owns brands such as Breguet, Longines, Omega, and Tissot, had claimed $170 million (approx. 235.7 billion won) from Samsung Electronics.
In a previous ruling, the court already found that Samsung infringed on Swatch's trademark rights by permitting the sale of watch face apps that replicated the appearance of Swatch brand watches on its app store between 2015 and 2019, and the damages have now been calculated.
During the legal proceedings, Samsung argued that Swatch's demands were excessive, claiming that Swatch suffered no actual harm and that Samsung's revenue from the apps amounted to only $300.
The controversial watch face apps were created by third-party developers.
However, Judge Marcus Smith pointed out, "The availability of Swatch Group brands for download for free or at a low price on Samsung's supermarket (app store) shelves caused significant damage to Swatch Group's property rights," adding, "The low prices damage the brand image that Swatch Group has strived to widely promote."
Judge Smith also noted that Swatch Group has carefully managed and promoted its brands for decades, which constituted a vital part of its business.
In a statement issued that day, Samsung stated, "We are carefully reviewing the High Court's decision and will consider all possible response measures, including an appeal."
Swatch said in a statement, "Samsung has repeatedly attempted to downplay the scale and significance of the infringement by dismissing compensation for the Swatch Group's well-known brands."
(Photo: Getty Images)
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