Jurors Selected by the Close of Apple v. Samsung, Day One

Just how similar are the Apple iPad (left) and Samsung Galaxy Tab (right)? Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired  

SAN JOSE, California — After a grueling day of grilling by both Judge Koh and lawyers representing Apple and Samsung, a jury of nine was finally selected and sworn in to hear Apple v. Samsung patent litigation. “The rest of you may be feeling exhilarated like you escaped a bullet,” Judge Koh said after the nine names were announced.

Among the chosen jurors are a man who worked for over 35 years in the hard drive industry as an electrical engineer, an unemployed San Jose native who likes to play videogames, and a man who works in construction.

For close to eight hours, the jury pool was asked questions about their backgrounds and hobbies, their technical expertise in areas such as law, patents and contracts, and their economic situations. However tedious the question-and-answer session became, Judge Koh maintained a genial atmosphere in the courtroom, aided by humorous remarks from both potential jurors and lawyers.

When questioned about why she was considering purchasing an iPad, one potential juror said, “I love the technology,” and talked about how she’d like to be able to sit in the yard and use her iPad. Samsung attorney Bill Price replied, after a moment’s pause, “Other companies sell tablets too!” Audience laughter ensued.

A Google UI engineer who repeatedly pledged to be impartial in the proceedings did not end up getting chosen. He worked primarily with UI layouts relating to Google Video, Google+, and mobile Maps, but had also contributed to Android. Apple tried unsuccessfully to get Judge Koh to dismiss him from the jury pool earlier in the day, saying that Samsung’s role as a business partner to Google would make it impossible for him to be impartial.

After the selected jurors were sworn in, Judge Koh gave them their preliminary instructions, as well as background on the utility and design patents involved in the case.

Tomorrow, Apple and Samsung’s lawyers will give their opening statements, outlining their arguments for their respective sides of the litigation. Each side will get an hour and a half (and will likely use the whole time) to state its case.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/07/jurors-selected-apple-samsung/

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