In a staggering victory for Apple, a US jury has awarded the company $1.05 billion in damages in a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung. The jury found that Samsung had copied from key features of Apple’s iPhone.

California patent infringement lawyers believe that a key consequence of this verdict could be a ban on the sales of important Samsung gadgets inside the United States. The verdict will also help strengthen Apple’s position in the mobile computing market, of which it already has a dominant share.

The lawsuit involves 7 patent claims filed by Apple, and 5 patent claims of Samsung. The legal tussle between Apple and Samsung kicked off last year when Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung in several countries. Samsung counter-sued. During the trial, lawyers from both sides presented e-mails between company employees, testimony from expert designers, as well as product demonstrations in order to convince the jury. Apple presented what the jury now believes was clear chronological evidence of Samsung copying critical features of its iPad and iPhone products.

It appears that the jury had little trouble finding that the Korean mobile phone company had copied key features from the iPhone and the iPad. The jury of 9 persons deliberated for less than 3 days before delivering the verdict. The jury has found that Samsung willfully infringed on key patents by Apple. Because of this, Apple is allowed to seek triple damages. Apple’s victory will come at a cost to Google which has invested heavily in its Android software found in many Samsung products.

Samsung meanwhile shot a company memo to employees soon after the verdict against it, informing them that it was very disappointed by the court verdict, and that the company had initially tried negotiation with Apple, instead of litigation.