U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Samsung's Appeal in Years-Old 'Slide to Unlock' Lawsuit With Apple - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Samsung's Appeal in Years-Old 'Slide to Unlock' Lawsuit With Apple

by

The Supreme Court of the United States on Monday rejected Samsung's request to appeal a $119.6 million verdict awarded to Apple in an over six year old "Slide to Unlock" patent infringement lawsuit, according to Reuters.

slide to unlock
In October 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reinstated Apple's award after a lower court found Samsung to have infringed upon several popular iPhone features, including slide-to-unlock and autocorrect.

The lawsuit, from 2011, is so old that slide-to-unlock isn't even used on iPhones anymore. Unlocking an iPhone on iOS 10 or later requires using Face ID on iPhone X, and Touch ID or pressing the Home button on older iPhone models.

This case is not to be confused with another 2011 lawsuit in which Apple accused Samsung of copying the iPhone's design with its Galaxy-branded smartphones. A damages retrial in that lawsuit is scheduled for next May.

Top Rated Comments

111 months ago
The lawsuit, from 2011, is so old that slide-to-unlock isn't even used on iPhones anymore.
Rather, we’ve come full circle and are now back to “slide to unlock”, but now we slide a new direction!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
111 months ago
Samsung is way too obsessed with Apple. And that's bad Karma.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwaltwhit Avatar
111 months ago
thank glob. when will this madness end??
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solomani Avatar
111 months ago
SCOTUS should fine Samsung another $100 million for wasting its time.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
111 months ago
Samsung is way too obsessed with Apple. And that's bad Karma.
Huh? Apple is the one who sued Samsung over something that they should never had been able to get patented in the first place.

If anyone is obsessed, it is Apple is obsessed with Samsung, they sue them over this, they sue them over the phone being rectangular with rounded corners, etc.

Then Apple ends up copying Samsung with the iPhone X (Seriously it is the Note 8 without a stylus or fingerprint sensor) and does Samsung sue Apple? No, they do make fun of the missing features (and rightfully so), but not sue. So again, Apple is obsessed with Samsung, not the other way around.
[doublepost=1510012087][/doublepost]
You think Samsung built an empire off of "slide to unlock"? I don't think so. I question how that is even a patent-able thing.

I do sports photography and there is a company that has a patent for organizing photos of sports participants based on a tag number (like runners, bikers, etc..). They go after any photographer that creates a gallery of sports photos organized by tag number.

When patents are awarded for very simplistic common sense things, it really creates the environment for these ongoing patent cases that benefit no one but the lawyers.
All too true, something as basic as slide to unlock or rectangular with rounded corners should never have been granted a patent in the first place.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
111 months ago
The arrogance of silicon valley attorneys never ceases to amaze. How much did they charge to convince Samsung it was worth a shot at the supreme court level where it probably had a less than 1% chance of being heard?

Good grief.
Believe it or not, more often than not the attorneys say "you're probably not going to win this" and the client demands the attempt anyway.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Foldable Thumb

Apple's Foldable iPhone Will Have a Samsung-Made OLED Display

Wednesday April 8, 2026 2:54 am PDT by
Apple has agreed to source foldable OLED panels exclusively from Samsung for the next three years, reports The Elec. Apple will not use foldable panels from other display suppliers as part of the agreement, according to the Korea-based outlet. The company is said to have accepted the terms given the lack of viable alternative suppliers. This year, Apple is expected to release a...
Apple Logo 16x9 US Flag Feature

Apple Subpoenas Samsung in South Korea Over DOJ Antitrust Case

Thursday April 9, 2026 4:20 am PDT by
Apple has asked a U.S. court to formally request internal Samsung documents from South Korea as part of discovery in the DOJ's ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the company. The DOJ filed suit against Apple in March 2024, alongside a number of governments, alleging the company used App Store rules, developer restrictions, and control over key iPhone features to stifle competition. After Apple...
galaxy fold 7 orange

Samsung's U.S. Price Increases Add to Concerns About Rising Apple Device Costs

Tuesday April 14, 2026 2:47 pm PDT by
Samsung raised the prices of several of its smartphones and tablets in the United States overnight, likely due to increasing costs caused by ongoing memory shortages. As shared by PhoneArena, the 512GB Galaxy Z Flip increased by $80 from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, while the S25 Edge and S25 FE went up $80 and $40, respectively. Samsung did not increase the cost of its current-generation S26...
Related Apple News: Entertainment | South Africa | Ipad | Mac | Culture