Judge Won’t Divert 2014 Apple-Samsung Trial

SAN JOSE, Calif. (CN) - Keeping the next Apple-Samsung battle on track for 2014, a federal judge urged both sides to "streamline the issues significantly" in the coming months.

Facing claims that it infringed features of the Siri voice assistant, Samsung had wanted to stay proceedings until it finishes appealing matters from another patent trial last year. In that case, a jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion for claims that Samsung's line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets infringe Apple's iPhone and iPad.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh reduced that award by $450 million last week because of jury errors in calculating damages and ordered a new trial for damages.

The second patent trial begins in March 2014, and she told both sides on Friday to narrow down the issues in that battle, which will also handle Samsung's cross-claims that Apple infringed a number of its patents with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

"As this case proceeds, the court will require the parties to streamline the issues raised in this action significantly," Koh wrote. "Therefore, within ten days after the court issues its claim construction order, the parties will be required to limit their asserted patent claims and accused products to twenty-five per side. In addition, the parties will be required to further narrow their asserted patent claims and accused products as well as limit their prior art references: before the close of expert discovery, before the court considers any motions for summary judgment, after the court rules on any motions for summary judgment, and again before the pretrial conference."

She added: "Further, the parties will be required to limit the number of consulting and testifying experts. Unlike in the [prior] case, the court will not permit the parties to involve over fifty experts in this litigation."

The San Jose suits are two of several between the companies, which are waging a global war that spans five continents for technological domination.

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