Round two of what might be the biggest patent trial in tech history will be decided by a plumber, a police officer and a store clerk. Those blue-collar types are among the 10-person jury finalized Monday for the latest legal battle between Apple and Samsung.
“Jury picked,” tweeted San Jose Mercury News reporter Howard Mintz shortly after jury selection concluded. “Plumber, teacher, cop, secretary, store clerk, county worker, etc. Not [a] sniff of a tech geek to decide $billion patent trial.”
Six women and four men were selected Monday. The jury includes iPhone owners, individuals with ties to the tech industry and at least two retirees (a former IBM exec and a plumber), according to Recode.
Judge Lucky Koh presided over jury selection in the courtroom in San Jose, California. The trial, which got under way Monday, is the second patent lawsuit between Apple and Samsung. Apple is looking for nearly $2 billion in damages for Samsung’s alleged violation of Apple patents on mobile devices, and Samsung is countersuing for millions.
The selection for the potentially month-long case followed a long day of questioning potential jurors, during which those with conflicts of interest were dismissed.
Lawyers for Apple and Samsung will make opening statements Tuesday. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, is said to be Cupertino’s first witness. He could take the stand tomorrow.
