The International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Apple yesterday in regards to Samsung infringing on Apple patents. With this ruling, a ban on importing some older Samsung devices will go into effect. Of course there is a 60 day time frame where President Obama has the chance to veto such a decision. Some of the devices in question include:
- The Galaxy S 4G
- Galaxy Tab
- Galaxy Tab 10.1
- Fascinate
- Captivate
Other devices released in 2010 and 2011 fall into this category as well. Each device is said to violate scrolling behaviors and another patent involving the headphone jack. While Samsung’s import ban request on Apple was vetoed by the President it’s highly unlikely that he will do the same with this case. The reason for this is that these patents are considering non-essential. Both companies released a response to this decision:
We are disappointed that the ITC has issued an exclusion order based on two of Apple’s patents. However, Apple has been stopped from trying to use its overbroad design patents to achieve a monopoly on rectangles and rounded corners. The proper focus for the smartphone industry is not a global war in the courts, but fair competition in the marketplace. Samsung will continue to launch many innovative products and we have already taken measures to ensure that all of our products will continue to be available in the United States.
Apple had this to say:
With today’s decision, the ITC has joined courts around the world in Japan, Korea, Germany, Netherlands and California by standing up for innovation and rejecting Samsung’s blatant copying of Apple’s products. Protecting real innovation is what the patent system should be about.
Other devices can fall under this ban as well if Samsung’s attempts at a work around prove to not be good enough for officials. While the ban does only affect older Samsung devices, the precedent is set and Apple could push forward with attempts at banning new devices. As always, only time will tell.
source: ITC Ruling
via: The Verge
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