Apple Jury to Learn of Samsung Document Destruction

Apple Inc. won court permission to tell a jury that Samsung Electronics Co. destroyed e-mail that the iPhone maker wanted to use as evidence in a patent trial set to begin July 30.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal in San Jose, California, yesterday agreed with Apple that jurors should be told that they can draw an “adverse inference” from Samsung’s failure to avoid auto-deleting e-mail Apple later sought as evidence. The jury instruction is a “modest” method of correcting for any harm suffered by Apple and deterring Samsung’s practices in the future, Grewal wrote