Galaxy Watch lineup has become the center of a $170 million Swatch lawsuit after Swiss watchmaker Swatch demanded $170 million in damages, claiming Samsung allowed digital watch faces that copied the designs of luxury Swiss timepieces.

According to FinancialTimes, the case focuses on 26 third-party watch faces apps available for Samsung smartwatches, which Swatch says replicated the appearance of iconic brands including Omega, Tissot, and Breguet.

While the apps were created by independent developers, Samsung was held responsible because of its role in reviewing apps and promoting its smartwatch platform with customizable watch faces.

Here are three key reasons why Samsung’s watch faces became part of a major trademark battle.

The first issue is the alleged replication of luxury watch designs.

Swatch argues that these digital watch faces were more than simple customization options.

The second reason is Samsung’s involvement in the smartwatch ecosystem.

The apps were developed by third parties, but courts in the UK previously found Samsung liable for trademark infringement.

The third factor is the huge gap between Swatch’s demand and Samsung’s position.

Swatch is seeking around $170 million for alleged infringements between October 2015 and February 2019.

Watch faces have become one of the easiest ways for users to personalize devices, but they also sit close to the world of traditional watch design, where brands protect even small visual details.

From Samsung’s perspective, this could simply be a case of cleaning up third-party content on its platform, but for luxury watchmakers like Swatch, digital copies on smartwatches represent a bigger threat to brand value.

The final damages decision could set an important precedent for how smartwatch platforms handle user-created designs in the future.

Source – Samsung

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