The U.S. Supreme Court will begin its day today by hearing opening arguments in the “century’s single most heated dispute over competing technology”: the long-running patent battle of Apple v. Samsung.

Samsung is appealing a lower court’s decision that it allegedly copied Apple’s utility and design patents and must pay penalties totaling $1.05 billion, which was later reduced on appeal to a much more reasonable $548 million. The Korean electronics company paid Apple but with the caveat that some of that money may be reimbursed in future cases.

After the high court agreed to add the case to its docket, Samsung issued a statement:

“We welcome the Court’s decision to hear our case. We thank the many large technology companies, 37 intellectual property professors, and several groups representing small business, which have supported our position.

The Court’s review of this case can lead to a fair interpretation of patent law that will support creativity and reward innovation.”

According to the New York Times, this will be the first patent case before the Supreme Court in more than a century. Will it be the last between Apple and Samsung?

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