SOFTWARE giant Apple was yesterday awarded $1BILLION (�665million) damages from rival Samsung � after a jury said it copied key features of the iPhone and iPad.
The US court�s verdict could lead to a ban on key Samsung products.
The jury rejected counter-claims by Samsung that some of its patents had been breached by Apple.
South Korean firm Samsung, which has sold 22.7million smartphones and tablets that Apple claims uses its technology, is expected to appeal.
The two companies � which sell more than half the world�s smartphones and tablets � have locked legal horns in several countries this year.
The landmark legal case could affect other territories such as the UK if Apple calls for import bans on its rival�s products.
Several other smartphone firms may now face legal action from Apple. The jury decided that the majority of Samsung smartphones and tablets violate Apple patents including its zoom in and out feature achieved by tapping the screen.
The nine-person jury in San Jose, California, also said Samsung's infringement was intentional and its $399million counter-suit was without merit.
In a statement, Samsung said: �We will move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn this decision in this court and if we are not successful, we will appeal this decision to the Court of Appeals.�
Apple Corp. filed its lawsuit in April 2011 and hired top patent lawyers in $2.5billion bid against its primary smartphone competitor, Samsung Electronics Co.
The South Korean electronics giant then fired back unsuccessfully with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million.
Apple attorney Harold McElhinny claimed Samsung was undergoing a 'crisis of design' after Apple�s 2007 iPhone launch.
He added that Samsung executives then illegally cashed in on the success of the revolutionary device.
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