Judge Orders Apple and Samsung to Streamline Case for Jury

Judge Lucy Koh of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has given Apple and Samsung until Monday to streamline the claims in their case against each other, reports Computer World.

The matter is expected to go on trial July 30th but Koh wants the companies to pare down the case so jurors can understand what's going on in one trial. This is the second time Koh has told the two companies to downsize their claims.

In a joint statement filed Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday's conference, Apple and Samsung each had offered to drop some patents and claims from the case but said lack of cooperation from the other side prevented greater streamlining. But that left 16 patents, six trademarks, five "trade dress" claims, and an antitrust case, with 37 products accused of violations. The companies each will have 25 hours to present their cases to a jury.


"I think that's cruel and unusual punishment to a jury, so I'm not willing to do it," Judge Koh said. "If you're going to trial in July, this is not going to be acceptable."

If Apple and Samsung are unable to present a more workable set of claims the trial could be delayed until 2013. Apple says it wants to bring the case to trial on time but Samsung is not being cooperative.

Attorney Harold McElhinny of Morrison & Foerster, representing Apple, said "We will do whatever we need to do to hold the trial date."

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