Apple Wins Infringement Case Over Samsung Electronics

The court’s ruling said: “Apple does not seek to enjoin the sale of life-saving drugs, but to prevent Samsung profiting from the unauthorised use of infringing features in its cellphones and tablets”.

In a 2-1 vote, the appeals court issuing Thursday’s injunction concluded Apple was being harmed by Samsung’s infringement on patents for iPhone’s slide-to-lock screen and auto-correct feature.

Judge Koh ruled in August 2014 not to place a permanent injunction against Samsung for selling certain older-model smartphones. Apple wanted a ban on Samsung products that used these patents, but U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh ruled that monetary damages would be enough as resolution. Apple says that Samsung’s use of its patents robs Apple products of their exclusiveness and forces it “to compete against its own innovation usurped by its largest and fiercest competitor”. Apple believes that Samsung can remove the the patented features without having to recall their phones from the market. In her dissent, Chief Judge Sharon Prost said Apple must show that the features drove sales from Apple to Samsung before it could block a product.

This new legal development on Thursday has caused quite a stir in the tech community and it could impact the way Samsung will manufacture phones in the future.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has won yet another legal battle against its arch rival Samsung Group (OTCMKTS:SSNLF).

“The public generally does not benefit when that competition comes at the expense of the patentee;s investment-backed property right”, U.S. Federal Circuit Judge Kimberly Moore wrote in the majority opinion.

For its part, Apple repeated a statement it made early in the case in which it accused Samsung of “wilfully” stealing its technology. Apple appealed and argued that Samsung stole those features, and therefore, had no right to continue to use them.

The case will now go back to the district court to be resolved. Apple did not establish that that these features were the exclusive or significant driver of customer demand, which certainly would have weighed more heavily in its favor. In late 2014, the two firms agreed to drop all the patent cases being fought outside the US.

In a separate, blockbuster case, the Federal Circuit in May stripped about US$382 million from a US$930 million judgment against Samsung stemming from a 2012 verdict for infringing Apple’s patents and copying the look of the iPhone.