Judge To Apple's Lawyer In Samsung Case: 'You Must Be Smoking Crack'

Judge To Apple: 'You Must Be Smoking Crack'
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Apple's intensely fractious court battle with Samsung over design patents reached a new low on Thursday, after a judge said a lawyer was "on crack" if he thought a list of potential witnesses would be accepted.

Apple is arguing that several Samsung devices infringe on the design of its iPhone and iPad and is seeking $2.5bn in damages.

Samsung, meanwhile, argues that Apple has infringed its patents and that it should pay damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

William Lee, one of the lawyers working for Apple, had presented a 75-page document listing 22 people to argue against the testimony made by Samsung's witnesses.

But the judge seemed to think that was over ambitious, to put it mildly - and said she was sticking rigidly to the pre-established schedule which gives each side just 25 hours to make its case.

"You want me to do an order on 75 pages tonight? When, unless you're smoking crack, you know that these witnesses are not going to be called?" Judge Lucy Koh asked.

"Who is going to call all these witnesses when you have less than four hours left?"

Lee replied: "First, your honour, I'm not smoking crack. I can promise you that," but later agreed to shorten the list.

But the judge wasn't ameliorated, and said that she was "billing time" because of their "unreasonable" behaviour.

The landmark trial, which could have profound implications for the technology industry, has been marked by an increasing frustration from all sides.

Earlier in the week Judge Koh's temper "flared" according to The Verge after Apple said it wanted to bring in a designer for testimony but she wasn't available until Monday.

Previously she had criticised a lawyer for Samsung after he sent evidence ruled inadmissible in court to the press, including a number of prototype images said to pre-date the original iPhone.