Infographic from first4lawyers.

Tech is a very competitive sector of the global economy, with the biggest firms constantly trying to out-muscle each other in order to be top of the technology tree. The likes of Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have tried to pull out all the stops to make sure their latest gadget or console is the most popular with consumers, but when making a wrong turn, they occasionally find themselves in court!

As this infographic by the guys at first4lawyers reveals, when tech giants are summoned to the court for being on the wrong side of each other or the authorities, they can end up paying a huge amount in damages. The most recent of all these cases involved an epic courtroom battle between Apple and Samsung over patent infringement.

Court short

The Korean firm were asked to pay Apple over $1bn, a fee which they have tried to bring down in order to minimise the impact on company profits. Other cases listed here involve firms trying to improve profitability at the expense of the consumer and smaller rivals, something that Microsoft in particular have been accused of.

To stay out of court in the future, the biggest tech firms should try to play fair, while also taking into account the needs of the consumer. The amount of money fined is substantial, so the incentive to stick to the rules is there!