JURIST - Paper Chase: UK court rules for Apple in Samsung patent infringement case

[JURIST] A UK court on Thursday ruled in favor of Apple in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Samsung [corporate websites]. The suit involved three patents in connection to data and information transfer technology that Samsung alleged Apple infringed. The technology allows transfers of information over the third-generation networks that are used by smartphones. In Thursday's ruling, Judge Christopher Floyd invalidated [Bloomberg report] Samsung's patents. Apple had argued that the patents at issue were invalid and that Samsung was required to license the patents under fair terms they were essential in allowing connection to third-generation networks. It is unclear whether Samsung will appeal the recent decision.

Samsung and Apple have been involved in patent disputes around the globe. Earlier this month a judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of California reduced [JURIST report] the amount of damages that Samsung is required to pay for infringing Apple patents. In January Koh ruled that Samsung did not willfully infringe Apple's patents partially abrogating the jury verdict [JURIST reports]. However, Koh declined to overturn the jury's findings on validity and infringement and also refused to grant Samsung a new trial on grounds that the trial was allegedly manifestly unfair. Last month the Tokyo District Court rejected [JURIST report] a patent infringement claim brought by Samsung alleging that Apple stole its data transmission technology. In August the same court dismissed Apple's claim [JURIST report] against Samsung holding that latter did not violate Apple's patents of synchronizing music and video data. An appeal followed [JURIST report] two months later.