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August 26, 2026 • 2 min read
Samsung has lost a long-running legal battle with Swatch Group over digital watch faces offered through its app store. A UK High Court has ordered the company to pay $11.6 million after finding Samsung responsible for apps that used designs and trademarks associated with Swatch’s luxury watch brands (via Bloomberg).
Samsung is on the hook for third-party watch faces
The case involves around 30 smartwatch apps that were available on Samsung’s Galaxy App Store from 2015 to 2019. The apps let Galaxy Watch owners use watch faces inspired by brands including Omega, Breguet, Blancpain, Longines, and Tissot.
Swatch said the apps infringed 23 of its trademarks and were downloaded around 160,000 times across the UK and EU.
Samsung’s defense was pretty simple. It said the apps were made by independent developers, so the company shouldn’t be on the hook for their content. Samsung also said it took the apps down once the alleged infringement was brought to its attention.
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The court didn’t buy that argument. Samsung wasn’t just providing storage for the apps. It played a role in reviewing and distributing them through its store, which meant the company could be held responsible for making the infringing content available to users.
And this isn’t the first time Samsung has lost on this issue. A 2022 High Court ruling found the company liable for trademark infringement, and Samsung’s appeal was later rejected by the Court of Appeal.
Swatch originally wanted around $170 million, but the court awarded $11.6 million instead. About $10 million of the final amount relates to the use of Swatch trademarks through Samsung’s app store.
The court said making branded watch designs available for little or no cost could undermine the exclusivity Swatch has built around its brands. Samsung is now reviewing the latest judgment and hasn’t ruled out another appeal.
Written by
Abhinav Anand is the News Editor at SammyGuru and a technology journalist based in New Delhi. Before joining SammyGuru, he contributed to numerous outlets, including Android Headlines, ExtremeTech, The Mac Observer, Financial Express, Economic Times, iGeeksBlog, KnowTechie, PhonesWiki, SlashGear, and more. You can reach him at [email protected].