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How much would you be willing to pay for scrolling and multitouch on your phone? Well an expert witness for Apple reckons we’ll be happy to pay $100 (£64) for the features, which Apple is claiming Samsung stole for its own phones.
John Hauser, a professor in marketing at MIT, said he surveyed consumers over the Internet, asking how much would they pay for features like multitouch and scrolling, Reuters reports. And that’s how he came up with the $100 figure. But Samsung was quick to counter, questioning whether his study reflects how people really choose a phone.
Hauser found people would be willing to pay $90 for the same features on a tablet. There’s no explanation why the figure is lower for tablets than phones, but this information could be used to work out damages if Apple wins the case.
Apple has accused Samsung of slavishly copying its phone and tablet designs, infringing its copyright.
Hauser was confident of his methodology. But he did concede his results don’t necessarily correspond to what customers would actually pay in the real world.
Apple patent portfolio director Boris Teksler said he could count “on one hand” the number of times Apple has allowed companies to use its design patents — though he didn’t name these instances.
A document was revealed in the case that shows Apple contacted Samsung back in August 2010, accusing it of copying the iPhone. Samsung denies this, claiming one phone was inspired by a bowl of water. The designer of the F700 (the bowl of water phone) started work on it before the first iPhone was announced, so if her testimony is allowed it could really bolster Samsung’s case.
There are weeks to go yet in the case, and it seems it’s going to be a bumpy ride. How much would you pay for multitouch and scrolling on your phone? Let me know below, or on Facebook.
