Swatch, a Swiss watchmaker, is seeking US$170 million from Samsung in a London lawsuit over third-party watch-face apps on Samsung smartwatches that allegedly copied its trademarks, according to court documents.

Britain’s High Court found Samsung liable in 2022. The court said Samsung went beyond acting as a neutral host because it promoted Galaxy Store apps to help sell smartwatch-like devices, supplied developer tools, reviewed apps before listing them, and handled customer support.

The ruling covered Swatch Group brands including Omega, Tissot, Longines, and Swatch, and was upheld by the Court of Appeal in December 2023, even though third-party developers made the apps.

Swatch said its claim is based on hypothetical license fees across 10 brands.

The 26 disputed watch faces were allegedly downloaded 160,000 times in Britain and the European Union.

The 2019 case also covers alleged infringement in the European Union, and related US lawsuits are reportedly awaiting the London ruling.

🔗 Source: Reuters