Apple CEO Tim Cook Reiterates That Lawsuit Against Samsung Is About More Than Patents Or Money

In response to the verdict reached in favor of Apple in its much-publicized patent lawsuit against Samsung, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a memo to corporate employees of the triumphant tech company. The memo, obtained and first reported on by 9to5Mac, contains statements similar to those issued by Apple PR head Katie Cotton shortly after the verdict was announced. Cook asserts in his memo that the lawsuit “has always been about something much more important than patents or money.” As well, he maintains that the “mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than we knew.” He also thanks and commends the nine-person jury responsible for the favorable decision for “finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.” Aside from such reiterations, however, the memo is interspersed with more personal statements befitting Cook’s position as Apple’s CEO. One statement, in particular, is quite telling. According to Cook, “We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work.” Cook’s memo is republished below:

Today was an important day for Apple and for innovators everywhere. Many of you have been closely following the trial against Samsung in San Jose for the past few weeks. We chose legal action very reluctantly and only after repeatedly asking Samsung to stop copying our work. For us this lawsuit has always been about something much more important than patents or money. It’s about values. We value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. And we do this to delight our customers, not for competitors to flagrantly copy. We owe a debt of gratitude to the jury who invested their time in listening to our story. We were thrilled to finally have the opportunity to tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trial showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than we knew. The jury has now spoken. We applaud them for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right. I am very proud of the work that each of you do. Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens. Tim

As agreed upon by the jury, Samsung has been found guilty of infringing on a considerable number of Apple’s patents. The South Korean company is now required to pay Apple more than $1 billion in damages. For Cook, this court ruling couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune moment. He has just celebrated the first anniversary of being Steve Jobs’ successor as Apple CEO, and a rather successful one at that. Source: 9to5Mac

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