Judges in Seoul, Korea have ruled that both Apple and Samsung have copied each other’s patented designs, Reuters reports. The two companies, which control over 50 per cent of the smart phone market, have been locked in a patent battle since Apple, maker of the iPhone, accused Samsung of copying patented designs, suing them for it. South Korea-based Samsung, maker of the Galexy 5, countersued.
Judges in Seoul, Korea have ruled that both Apple and Samsung have copied each other’s patented designs, Reuters reports. The two companies, which control over 50 per cent of the smart phone market, have been locked in a patent battle since Apple, maker of the iPhone, accused Samsung of copying patented designs, suing them for it. South Korea-based Samsung, maker of the Galexy 5, countersued.
A judge ruled that design variations on touch-screen mobile devices are generally “limited” and that Samsung differentiated its product sufficiently by changing three buttons and the camera placement. He also said it was difficult to argue that consumers would confuse the iPhone with the Galaxy given the two devices carry the respective company logos on the back.
The court, however, ruled that Apple infringed on two of Samsung’s wireless technology patents and ordered the California-based company to pay $35,400. Samsung, in turn, was found to have violated one patent relating to a so-called bouncing-back function used when scrolling through documents, and fined about $22,000.
While this ends Samsung and Apple’s dispute in Korea, the court battle continues in the United States. Here, Apple is seeking to permanently ban Samsung from selling what it says are patent-infringing products, like the Galaxy 5, along with $2.5 billion in damages. Samsung has, in turn, accused Apple of violating their own patents, and demands $422 million in damages.