Samsung Appeals to U.S. Supreme Court in Last Effort to Avoid $548 Million Apple Payment

Samsung today asked the United States Supreme Court to hear its latest appeal in its ongoing patent battle with Apple, reports Re/code. In August, following a rejection from the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, Samsung said it would take its case to the Supreme Court by November, and it has now followed through with those plans.

In its appeal, which also includes a wider criticism on patent law, Samsung says the jury was not provided with enough information to understand the patents, a problem it says afflicts many design patent cases.

"Samsung is escalating this case because it believes that the way the laws were interpreted is not in line with modern times," it said in a statement. "If the current legal precedent stands, it could diminish innovation, stifle competition, pave the way for design patent troll litigation and negatively impact the economy and consumers."

Samsung has already agreed to pay a $548 million settlement to Apple, with the full sum expected to be paid by today, but should the Supreme Court rule in Samsung's favor, there is a clause that would require Apple to pay back the money.

Apple and Samsung have been battling over patent infringement issues since 2012, when a jury ruled Samsung willfully violated multiple Apple patents, resulting in $1 billion in damages. Since then, Samsung has been fighting the ruling. Over the course of several appeals and a partial retrial, Samsung has gotten the damages reduced to the $548 million total.

Samsung's appeal to the Supreme Court is a last ditch effort. Should the Supreme Court refuse to hear its appeal or rule in Apple's favor, Samsung will not be able to recoup the $548 million it is paying to Apple. Samsung could have some difficulty convincing the Supreme Court to look at its case, as the court is notoriously selective about the cases it agrees to hear.