CNET

Apple asked Samsung for a very big Christmas present this year: $180 million more in damages stemming from a long-running patent case.

Just weeks after Samsung agreed to pay Apple $548 million for infringing iPhone patents and designs, Apple filed papers in court Wednesday claiming its rival owes an additional $180 million in supplemental damages and interest.

Cupertino, California-based Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. South Korea-based Samsung declined to comment. The news was first reported Thursday by patent expert Florian Mueller on his FOSS Patents blog.

The trial in the case, which ended in 2012, cast a bright light on the designs behind some of the most popular smartphones. It captivated Silicon Valley and the tech industry because it exposed the inner workings of two notoriously secretive companies. A jury ultimately found that Samsung had violated key Apple patents and at the time came up with an award of more than $1 billion, which later got whittled down to almost half the amount.

Samsung has appealed the case to the US Supreme Court, arguing that it sets a precedent that could stifle innovation because it heightens companies' fears of legal challenges. The high court hasn't decided whether to accept the case for review.

Apple and Samsung last year agreed to bury the hatchet in overseas patent cases, but their US suits have continued.

Their legal battle is just one aspect of a tangled history between the two smartphone market leaders. The contest is as much about legacy as it is about unit sales, market share and who owes whom how much. The relationship between the companies goes deeper: Samsung, for instance, has been a supplier of processors and screens for Apple's iPhones and iPads. So the two companies continue to work as partners in some aspects despite being courtroom rivals at the same time.

Updated at 4:17 p.m PT with Samsung declining comment.