Surveys using conjoint support multi-billion dollar damages award for patent infringement

Applied Marketing Science (AMS) conducted Internet surveys on behalf of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of smartphones and other consumer electronics in its patent infringement suit against a principal competitor. Working with a top academic expert and a leading economics consulting firm, AMS designed and conducted two conjoint surveys which demonstrated that removing the patent-related features from the competitors’ devices had a substantially negative impact on consumers’ willingness to buy those devices. The surveys also determined the price premium which the defendant’s customers were willing to pay for the infringing features.