Here is the language from Apple's closing argument to the jury that Samsung's lawyer said was "a direct appeal to racial bias":
When I was young, I used to watch television on televisions that were made in the United States. (He then named several U.S. manufacturers.) But they didn’t protect their intellectual property. There are no American TV manufacturers today.
In arguing for a mistrial, Samsung's lawyer said “we all thought the same thing” about the remark -- that it was a warning that Apple could lose to Asian competitors. Judge Lucy Koh denied the motion. "Actually, I’m Asian and I didn’t think the same thing." She did, however, call the jury back to reread the instruction that they must not be influenced by prejudices or sympathy.
IDG News Service, Bloomberg News, and CNET covered the story.
Photo: U.S. DistrictJudge Lucy Koh