Swatch Group has filed a trademark lawsuit in a London court against Samsung, according to media reports.
At the center of the Swiss group’s claim are digital watch faces. The company is reportedly claiming that the South Korean tech giant marketed smartwatches allowed to feature replicas of some of its marquee brands’ dials, including Omega, Tissot and Breguet.
Swatch is demanding $170 million in damages, claiming an alleged intellectual property infringement, arguing that Samsung offered customers the opportunity to feature dupe watch faces, albeit provided by third-party apps downloaded to the devices.
Contacted on Friday, the Swiss watchmaking group declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit. Samsung could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Swiss group reportedly quantified the damages by conscripting a valuation expert to calculate the value of a hypothetical licensing agreement between Swatch Group and Samsung.
