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Apple and Samsung have been litigating around
the world for three years, each accusing the other of infringing
patents in making smartphones and other mobile devices. Neither
side has scored a crippling sales ban against the other.
In this case, the International Trade Commission had said in
June that Apple did not infringe on the Samsung patents. The
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed that
decision on Wednesday but did not explain its reasoning.
Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the case. Apple did
not respond to a request for comment.
Apple's share price was steady on Wednesday afternoon, up 0.2
percent at $594.73.
The ITC had also found in June that Apple infringed on a Samsung
patent that was not one of those ruled upon on Wednesday. It
ordered the Apple devices that used that technology to be banned
from importation into the United States.
But the Obama administration overturned the ban because the
technology was covered by a standard essential patent, which
ensures that devices made by different companies can communicate
with each other.
The Samsung smartphone, like many iPhone competitors, uses
Google Inc's Android software, which Apple's late founder Steve
Jobs denounced as a "stolen product."
Android has become the world's No. 1 smartphone operating
system, and Apple has accused manufacturers like Samsung and HTC
of infringement. The legal conflagration eventually spread to
nearly a dozen countries.
Still, Apple and Samsung have largely fought to a draw. Apple
did have a big success in California when jurors awarded it
about $930 million after a 2012 trial, but the company failed to
persuade the judge to ban the sale of Samsung phones in the
United States because of the infringement.
In a second case in the same court, Samsung was ordered to pay
$119.6 million for infringing three Apple patents earlier this
month.
The case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd v. International Trade Commission
and Apple, Inc, No. 13-1519.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Ros Krasny, Meredith
Mazzilli and Lisa Von Ahn)
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