The US Supreme Court is struggling to resolve a big money battle between Apple and rival Samsung, relating to a long-running patent row over alleged infringements of the iPhone design.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the court is unsure how much money the South Korean smartphone maker should pay Apple, indicating that it may not provide a final resolution.

Samsung was found liable for patent infringement in 2012 and ordered to pay approximately $930 million in damages.

However, the US high court gave the company the opportunity to challenge the award that accounted for total profits on 11 smartphone models jurors found infringed on Apple’s iPhone design, amounting to $399 million.

The case will resolve whether Samsung should pay all of its profits on products that infringe on a patented design, or whether damages should be limited to a portion of profits, specifically relating to the design of the device.

The $399 million charge stems for Samsung’s violation of three Apple patents, the iPhone’s rounded front face, bezel and colourful grid of icons that represent programs and applications, said Reuters.

Last year, the US court of appeals also cut Samsung’s damages back to $548.2 million, stating the iPhone’s appearance could not be protected through trademarks.

Samsung argues that paying out all of its profits is unfair given the complexity and the numerous components included in a smartphone, insisting that consumers bought the phones for other features that had nothing to do with the design.

Apple, meanwhile, said it spent billions on developing the iPhone, and its success was directly tied to its distinctive design.

Justices reportedly are now struggling to decide the appropriate compensation to patent holders, and how to determine design patent damages.

“If I were a juror, I wouldn’t know what to do,” Justice Anthony Kennedy said.

The Supreme Court’s decision is expected by June 2017.