Overview
- The High Court in London fixed damages at US$11.6 million on Aug. 26 after a damages inquiry into trademark infringements for digital watch faces sold on Samsung’s Galaxy app store.
- About US$10 million of the award compensates Swatch for 'store display' harm, with the judge comparing app-store listings to copycat products placed on a shop shelf.
- The court found third-party apps replicated designs from Swatch brands including Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Longines and Tissot and judged infringements covered the period from 2015 to 2019.
- The damages figure also included royalties based on roughly 160,000 downloads in Europe; Samsung says it is reviewing the judgment and may appeal while related US cases are on hold.
- The decision highlights legal risks for platform owners that curate and market third-party content and could push app stores to tighten review, takedown and marketing controls.