Swatch is seeking $170 million in damages from Samsung in a U.K. trademark case involving smartwatch apps that allegedly copied the look of watches from Swatch Group brands, Reuters reported on Friday.
A ruling on damages will be made after the conclusion of a trial this week, which followed a 2022 finding by London’s High Court that Samsung was liable for trademark infringement by the third-party apps, which allowed users to create digital watch faces resembling models from Swatch -owned brands, including Omega and Tissot.
According to a June 19 filing by lawyers for Swatch that was reviewed by Reuters, the $170 million demand is based on hypothetical licensing fees across 10 Swatch brands and reflects the “prestige, reputation and drawing power” of the group’s portfolio.
Samsung did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. In a separate filing cited by the Financial Times, the company called Swatch’s demand “extravagant.”
The dispute dates back to a 2019 complaint over apps in Samsung’s Galaxy store that Swatch brands said copied their trademarks. The plaintiffs in that suit included Omega, Tissot, Blancpain, Breguet, Glashütte, Jaquet Droz, Francillon, Mido, and Hamilton International.
The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.
Top: Watch faces, as seen in Swatch legal papers
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