Apple vs. Samsung Patent Lawsuit: US Court of Appeals Denies Revival of Samsung Patent Case With ITC
Following a loss at a San Jose, California, courtroom, Samsung encountered another blow to their patent infringement battle against Apple Inc.
The U.S. appeals court ruled to affirm the International Trade Commission's (ITC) decision that Apple did not infringe on three Samsung patents used, allegedly, on iPhone and iPads.
The decision follows a series of events during the summer of 2013. The ITC had originally ruled the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad 2 violated Samsung's patents. According to the order signed by ITC's Acting Secretary Lisa R. Barton, Samsung "has proven" that the three Apple devices infringed Samsung patent '348.
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With the original ITC ruling, the iPhone 3GS, iPhone and iPad risked a U.S. sales ban unless President Barack Obama ordered a veto. Obama, however, transferred the decision to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman. It might have been a complicated time for Apple's three devices as the last U.S. president to overturn an ITC import ban was Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Eventually, on Aug. 3, 2013, Froman vetoed the ITC's ruling, stating, "This decision is based on my review of the various policy considerations discussed above as they relate to the effect on competitive conditions in the U.S. economy and the effect on the U.S. consumers."
"We applaud the Administration for standing up for innovation in this landmark case. Samsung was wrong to abuse the patent system in this way," an Apple spokesperson said in regards to the August ruling.
It wasn't the end for Samsung as the South Korea-based company issued an appeal.
On May 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals, however, would uphold Froman's decision and not revive the topic but provided no explanation for their ruling.
On the latest ruling, Samsung declined to comment while Apple has yet to respond to requests.
The patent infringement battle with the ITC and Court of Appeals is a separate matter from the recently concluded trial in San Jose. The patent infringement trial in San Jose was the second lawsuit presided by Judge Lucy Koh. Apple had accused Samsung of infringing five patents while the latter accused the iPhone maker of copying two patents.
After 50 hours of testimony, Samsung was found guilty of infringing two patents -- No. 5,946,647 and No. 6,847,959 -- while not guilty on the remaining three -- No. 7,761,414, No. 8,046,721, and No. 8,074,172. As a result, Samsung was ruled to award Apple $119,625,000, although that is down from the $2 billion Apple had requested. Apple, meanwhile, was ordered to pay Samsung $158,400 for one of the two patents Samsung alleged infringement.
The second patent infringement trial follows the August 2012 verdict when a jury awarded Apple over $1 billion in damages against Samsung. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh would later reduce the financial damages to $929.8 million. Judge Koh also presided the second patent trial.
Similar to the ITC and Froman case, Apple and Samsung are likely to appeal on the jury's verdict.
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