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Conan wades into Apple, Samsung imbroglio

Apple has sued Samsung for violating several key patents. Billions of dollars are at stake. But that doesn't mean the whole mess isn't worth a laugh or two.

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A still from a new Conan O'Brien satire of the spat between Samsung and Apple.
  • By Matthew Shaer

Last spring, Apple filed a federal complaint in US District Court, alleging that smartphone and tablet maker Samsung had infringed upon several of its key patents. The case, Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, is currently being adjudicated in a San Jose courtroom, with the entire tech industry looking on. And for good reason – Apple is asking for an astounding $2.5 billion in damages. 

Which isn't to say that the Apple and Samsung showdown isn't also good comedic fodder. On Conan last night, host Conan O'Brien introduced a short spoof clip – you can see it below – which pokes fun at the whole mess. The star of the video is "Nick Wood," the putative VP of Electronics at Samsung. "Apple's claim that Samsung has copied their technology," he announces, "is an allegation we're vigorously denying."

Samsung's devices "bear no similarity to Apple's," he continues. The joke, of course, is that Samsung's devices do look an awful lot like Apple's – see above. Later, "Wood" strips off his suit to reveal a black T-shirt and jeans, an outfit famously reminiscent of a past Apple CEO. 

In related news, Samsung is trouncing Apple in global smartphone sales. According to analytics firm IDC, Apple and Samsung shipped a combined 76 million handsets in the second quarter of 2012 – 26 million by Apple and a whopping 50 million by Samsung. 

For more on how technology intersects daily life, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut.

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