Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit: Patent Infringment Judge Orders Companies to 'Narrow' Patent Cases Ahead 2014 Trial

The patent infringement trial between Apple and Samsung has hit a minor roadblock for both parties ahead of its 2014 trial.

Although Apple was a $1 billion lawsuit against Samsung last August, both companies have added additional devices to the mix, accusing each other of infringing respective patents. The judge administering the trial, Judge Lucy Koh, has been covering the trial since the beginning and ruled the additional patents will be covered in a new and separate trial rather than in a retrial.

Judge Koh also issued a new ruling ahead of the March 2014 trial. The judge ordered both Apple and Samsung to limit the patent claims to 25 and 25 products.

Judge Koh told lawyers of both companies that they must "focus and streamline" their cases to 25.

"We'll keep narrowing and narrowing," Judge Koh said. "You've already been litigating this thing for a year; you must know something about what's your best case."

The 2014 trial will include the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 by Apple.

The news comes after Judge Koh had asked Apple and Samsung to suspend their case in order for the appeals court to review the first August verdict. Judge Koh stated the appeals court decision could determine how the next patent infringement trial will pan out.

Attorneys for Apple and Samsung have until March 7 to consent to Judge Koh's statement. It is unclear if both parties will agree as Apple's attorney William Lee stated the upcoming case should be treated differently compared to the first trial since it involves different patents, but Samsung's attorney Victoria Maroulis noted there could be an "overlap" with the two cases.

Latinos Post has covered the Apple vs. Samsung Patent Infringement Trial with a series chronicling the patent infringement case. The first installment can be read here, dating back Apple original complaint, while the second installment on how the Apple vs. Samsung trials is proceeding worldwide, click here. The third installment on its impact on other tech companies, such as HTC and Motorola, can be viewed here. 

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