US appeals court: Yes, Samsung ... sigh … you still have to pay Apple

Not even going to hear it this time, just pay them the $550m already

Samsung's attempt to wriggle out of paying $548m to Apple has been shot down by the federal circuit court in Washington DC.

Back in 2012, the South Korean giant was ordered by a district court in California to pay Apple just over half a billion dollars for shipping Android smartphones that infringing the iPhone maker's patents. Samsung was, at one point, on the hook for $1bn.

In July this year, Samsung went to the appeals court in Washington DC to overturn the ruling that it ripped off Apple's designs, or at least slash the amount of money it had to cough up.

That appeals court upheld the decision against Samsung, although booted the South Koreans back to the district court to adjust the payout amount after spotting a few technicalities in the numbers. Samsung didn't want to go back to California, and asked the Washington DC court to form a 12-judge panel and reconsider. Ultimately, Sammy wanted the whole thing to be thrown out.

On Thursday this week, that appeals court said it would not hear Samsung's pleas, and backed the lower court's earlier ruling.

This refusal marks the second time the Washington DC court has come down against Samsung in the case.

Last month, a list of Silicon Valley giants – including Facebook, Google, and eBay – all lobbied the court (unsuccessfully, it turns out) on Samsung's behalf.

The refusal now means Samsung's only remaining hope in beating Apple lies in a Supreme Court appeal, something that would be highly unlikely as it would require America's top court to first agree to hear a case the federal court of appeals denied – and then side with the South Koreans to overturn it all.

Samsung told The Register it was "disappointed" by this week's news, and would give no word on whether or not it will file an appeal.

The case is one of several Samsung and Apple have dragged in their ongoing spat over the technology used in competing mobile gadgets.

This years-long legal squabbling over a few hundred million dollars is taking place between two companies that together raked in $16.7bn in revenues in the last quarter alone. ®