Appeals court rules against Apple in Samsung patent dispute

“We are delighted with the resounding victory from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which found that two of Apple’s patents should never have been issued”, Samsung said in a statement.

The US Court of Appeals recently tossed a almost $120 million judgement against Samsung, Bloomberg reports, ruling that two disputed patents held by Apple were not valid. The appeals court reversed the original jury ruling, and said that Samsung did not violate the patents in this particular case.

The Cupertino giant followed this up by filing yet another patent suit the next year that is 2012 stating that Samsung had now borrowed software features of the iPhone, and the result of this case was finally announced by a Federal Appeals Court last Friday. The court ordered Samsung to pay $119.6 million for using patented technology of Apple without the latter’s authorization. Samsung also fought back by filing a countersuit, alleging that Apple infringed two of its own patents.

In December past year, Samsung was also directed to pay Apple $548.2 million.

Back in 2011 Apple had sued Samsung for the first time claiming that the Korean electronics maker had stolen some design ques from their iPhone and incorporated it in their Galaxy smartphones and tablet. Many courts in other countries have ruled Apple’s slide-to-unlock patent is invalid. One of the patents is ‘647 patent, so-called “quick links” technology, that allows a user to click certain data such as a web page or a phone number and he or she will be linked to the page or to make a phone call. Samsung has however gone to the Supreme Court to appeal for their case.

According to Bloomberg, the nullified patents in question include one that covers the “slide to unlock” mechanism on the iPhone.

Apple’s spokeswoman, however, refused to provide a comment regarding the court’s decision when asked by Reuters.

The three judges of the Federal Circuit all disagreed with the findings of the lower court in opposition to Samsung.

The South Korean tech company secured the win at the Federal Circuit on 26 February.