A Google logo is seen at the garage where the company was founded on Google's 15th anniversary in Menlo Park, California
A Google logo is seen at the garage where the company was founded on Google's 15th anniversary in Menlo Park, California September 26, 2013. REUTERS

The long standing battle between Apple and Samsung patent showdown has finally come to an end.

This is when the federal jury withdrew behind closed doors to understand that a key member who has been hanging around for some time is playing a vital role in building up the conclusion.

With the four-week trial winding to a close, it has become clear that this conflict is also about Google as much as the clash between Apple and Samsung over the rights to smartphone and tablet technology. Lawyers for Apple and Samsung will present their closing arguments and Google will be mentioned as often as iPhones and iPads.

In lieu with reports, Google has agreed to hide some of Samsung's potential legal costs as defense against Apple's latest multibillion dollar patent lawsuit. Apple discloses evidence to show that Samsung and Google are interconnected and exposed some emails and letters showing that Google executives agreed to pay some of Samsung's legal costs if it loses its patent fight against Apple. This action was meant to challenge Samsung's feud that it has nothing to do with whether Google-based technology integral to its smartphones and tablets violates Apple's patent rights.

Unlike 2012's first trial between the two companies, Samsung this time raised Google as its primary defense saying Apple should have targeted Google and its Android operating system, which runs the nine Samsung smartphones and one Galaxy tablet that was argued in Apple's patent lawsuit. In this case, the trial has the wrong defendant.

But Apple strengthens its position by making a point that Samsung devices have violated five iPhone and iPad software patents such as those for the slide-to-unlock and auto-search features hammering that Google's role is irrelevant as Samsung controls the technology it includes and sells in its own smartphones and tablets. A federal jury supported Apple in the trial, involving older line of products, and Samsung was smacked with nearly $1 billion in damages.

In the first trial, Samsung could not as readily exploit the Google defense because the Apple patents generally dealt with the "look and feel" of Samsung-designed products. The evidence surfaced as Apple and Samsung reached the final stage of their epic court battle.

Samsung wrapped up its case against Apple, which is accused of violating two of the South Korean tech giant's patents, including one video patent alleged to be involved in iPhone's FaceTime feature. A Samsung expert told the jury that Apple should pay about $6 million for infringing those patents.

Apple argued its technology does not breach any Samsung patents and has urged the jury to find that Samsung smartphones and tablets violated five software patents in iPhones and iPads.

Samsung counters breaching those patents, arguing they were for the most part developed by Google as part of its Android operating system.