# Why the Supreme Court Could Be Samsung’s Saving Grace

1 Opinion October 13, 2016 Fortune ![Nicholas Economides](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/uat_025567.jpg?itok=-EvyvLF-) By Nicholas Economides > In 2012, jurors found Samsung liable for infringing on some of Apple’s design patents; the company was ordered to pay about $930 million in damages. But as the lawsuit reaches the Supreme Court, it may limit Samsung’s liability costs.

After a series of business woes, the highest court could give Samsung a needed boost.

It has not been a good couple of months for Samsung. The South Korean electronics company has recalled its flagship Galaxy Note 7 phones after defective batteries in some phones caught on fire. The replacements haven’t been any better, and now Samsung has scrapped the Note 7 – a major blow. But there may be a glimmer of good news for Samsung, as the Supreme Court this week began hearing arguments for a high-stakes case between the company and Apple.

In 2012, jurors found Samsung liable for infringing on some of Apple’s design patents; the company was ordered to pay about $930 million in damages. But as the lawsuit reaches the Supreme Court, it may limit Samsung’s liability costs.

Read the full article as published in [Fortune](http://fortune.com/2016/10/13/samsung-galaxy-note-7-apple-sotu/).

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*Nicholas Economides is a Professor of Economics.* ## More Opinions from Nicholas Economides

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