Electronic giant Samsung has been ordered by a U.S jury to pay over $1 billion dollars in damages to rivals Apple for patent infringement. The decision brought a conclusion to a year long battle between the two tech heavyweights which began when Apple sued the South Korean company for copying design features. Apple made claims that Samsung stole features evident in the iPhone and iPad. Spell check, screen lock, and even the shape of icons are among the notable features which Apple claims Samsung copied.

This verdict comes as a major blow to Samsung which recently overtook Apple as the number one maker of smartphones. Besides having to pay over $1 billion in damages, they might also be banned from selling their signature devices such as the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Tab. News of the verdict has also sent shockwaves throughout the technology industry, particularly Google which relies on Samsung and its Android based devices for much of its traffic. As for consumers, experts expect Samsung to place a so called “Apple Tax” on its devices thus meaning the average consumer will have to pay a higher price for Samsung devices. This is just one option out of several which Samsung might exercise as they try to find means to offset the expenses brought forth by the verdict.

What are your thoughts on the verdict? How might it affect educational tech startups that utilize the Android operating system?