Professor Mark Lemley weighs in on recent developments in ongoing litigation between Apple and Samsung for The Daily Telegraph. 

Apple had an eventful year in 2011. The first iPad was flying off the shelves, the company unveiled its new iPhone 4S, and founder Steve Jobs died.

It also was the year Apple launched its worldwide courtroom blitzkrieg against archrival Samsung, accusing the South Korean tech giant of copying the secret ingredients from the iPhone and iPad for its smartphones and tablets.

Now, nearly four years later, that legal offensive has hit arguably its most crucial stage.

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"Many of the legal issues in the case aren't all that new, but the fact there is $US1 billion - and possibly the way smartphones are designed - at stake makes it an important case," said Mark Lemley, director of Stanford's law, science and technology program.