Patent wars and the future of the technology markets: The impacts of lawsuits between apple and samsung

Since Apple sued Samsung, its component supplier as well as formidable competitor, in April 2011 regarding the design of smartphones and tablet computers, the patent wars have become a very serious hot issue not only in technology industries but also among markets and customers all over the world because of its huge impacts on daily practices of businesses as well as ordinary customers’ lives in the world. The Apple vs. Samsung's lawsuit is a game changer in the technology industries and markets. The real issue isn't hardware design, however, it is all about user-interface issues, which are very controversial in many ways and give huge impacts on many areas in information and telecommunication technology businesses. In addition, it is likely to have wide-ranging implications and effects on the future of information technology businesses and the consumers eventually. This paper reviews the Apple vs. Samsung patent war, discusses its implications and impacts on the future of technology markets, and makes some suggestions for the continuous growth of the technology industry through fair competitions.