Apple, Samsung make final pitch to jury

By Dan Levine and Poornima Gupta

SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - Apple Inc spent years developing its iconic iPhone, but Samsung took a shortcut by copying its rival's designs after realizing it could not keep up, an Apple attorney said as the high-stakes patent infringement trial drew towards a climax.

Closing arguments kicked off on Tuesday at the closely watched trial between Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in a federal court in San Jose, California. The jury will likely begin deliberating on Wednesday.

Samsung attorney Charles Verhoeven countered by saying consumers are not confused between the products from the two mobile companies. He urged jurors to consider that a verdict in favor of Apple could stifle competition and reduce choices for consumers.

"Rather than competing in the marketplace, Apple is seeking a competitive edge in the courtroom," Verhoeven said. Apple thinks "it's entitled to having a monopoly on a rounded rectangle with a large screen. It's amazing really."

Apple and Samsung are going toe-to-toe in a patents dispute that mirrors the struggle for industry supremacy between the two companies, which control more than half of worldwide smartphone sales.

A win for Apple could have a major impact on the industry because the South Korean company's mobile products are run on Google Inc's Android operating system, a popular software that is used by many other manufacturers.

Apple attorney Harold McElhinny urged jurors to consider the testimony of a South Korean designer who said she worked day and night on Samsung's phones for three months.

"In those critical three months, Samsung was able to copy and incorporate the result of Apple's four-year investment in hard work and ingenuity - without taking any of the risks," McElhinny said.