600 Percent Increase in Samsung’s Lobbying Spend Likely Apple’s Fault

Samsung’s interests in Washington these days are far greater than they ever have been before. The company’s nasty intellectual property battle with Apple alone is enough to justify an increased presence around the Beltway. Add to that the anti-dumping tariffs and investigations its appliance pricing has drawn from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, and Samsung’s efforts to influence policy clearly seem a worthwhile pastime.

Little wonder, then, that Samsung’s lobbying spend is increasing dramatically. In 2011, the company spent $150,000 on lobbying. In 2012? $900,000 — a 600 percent spike. Samsung says its expanded lobbying efforts are simply part of “day-to-day business operations,” an apt explanation for a company whose day-to-day “operations” include a brutal, ongoing patent battle with Apple. These days, litigation seems part and parcel of the smartphone business. Certainly, that’s true for both Samsung and Apple.

Speaking of Apple, the iPhone maker’s lobbying spend actually decreased in 2012, though it still far exceeded Samsung’s. Apple spent $2 million on U.S. lobbying last year, down 13 percent from the year prior.