We're certain patent battles are the last thing you'd like to read this morning, but things are getting interesting in the case between Apple and Samsung. The latter party has managed to garner support from various top tech giants, including Google, HP, and Facebook, who have filed a "friend of the court" briefing at the start of July, protesting against the decision to fine Samsung $548 million .

The patent battle between Apple and Samsung has been ongoing since 2011. Apple accused Samsung of multiple patent infringements of key features from the company's iPhone. The Silicon Valley companies banding together with Samsung argue that the decision against Samsung in this case would have a negative impact on companies that invest in R&D.

"If allowed to stand, that decision will lead to absurd results and have a devastating impact on companies, including [the briefing draftees], who spend billions of dollars annually on research and development for complex technologies and their components."

It's argued that a feature, which could be a result of a few lines of code, may appear during use of a particular product, allowing the owner of said patent to receive profit generated by said product, even if the infringing element was insignificant to the user experience. The tech companies backing Samsung have urged the courts to review their decision in a rehearing.

Source: Inside Sources, via: The Verge