Swiss watchmaker Swatch is seeking $170 million in damages in a lawsuit against Samsung
in which it claims the South Korean electronics
giant allowed digital clones of Swatch watches on Samsung
smartwatches, the Financial Times reported on Friday citing
court documents.
A British judge is expected to rule on damages soon after
the High Court in London in 2022 found Samsung liable for
trademark infringement over third-party apps available on
Samsung smartwatches. The apps enabled users to replicate
popular models by Swatch-owned brands including luxury labels
Omega and Tissot.
The court case, which began in 2019 before Britain’s
official exit from the European Union, also relates to
infringement in the bloc. The upcoming ruling is also expected
to clear the way for a parallel Swatch claim against a Samsung
subsidiary in the U.S., according to the FT.
The Swiss watch industry faces a growing threat from the
fast-developing market for smartwatches, with companies like
Samsung, Apple and Huawei among major producers.
The FT said representatives of Swatch and Samsung have filed
written statements to the High Court which is now determining
damages. In the reported statements, Swatch accused Samsung of
“large-scale appropriation” of “valuable and carefully
protected” trademarks, while Samsung called the demands
“extravagant” and outsized.
A spokesperson for Swatch said the group would not comment
on the ongoing legal procedure. Samsung did not immediately
respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Swatch, whose groups produce timepieces ranging from
affordable plastic watches to luxury models worth tens of
thousands of dollars, sells connected watches such as the
SwatchPAY! but has so far not launched any smartwatches itself.