Samsung loses a German court battle against Apple

A GERMAN COURT has ruled against Samsung in its tit for tat patent war with Apple.

According to Reuters, Samsung hasn't decided whether it will appeal the ruling, which covers one mobile technology patent. The German court has not made a decision on the other two mobile technologies that Samsung claims Apple infringed.

The court ruling comes after Apple sued Samsung last year, saying Samsung's products "slavishly" copied the Ipad and Iphone. Samsung then countersued Apple and legal battles between the two companies spread across the globe.

Samsung stressed that Friday's ruling relates to only one of several patents asserted by Samsung in the Mannheim court.

Earlier this month, Samsung failed to win a ban on the Iphone 4S in Italy. Meanwhile, in December Apple lost in an early court decision over the future of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany after Samsung changed the design of the device.

Also in December, Samsung fired back at Apple in Germany by issuing four patent challenges.

Only this week, Apple filed two more lawsuits in Germany, one that alleges design patent infringements in ten of Samsung's smartphones and another that levels similar charges for five of its tablets. It has asked for a ban on sales.

We have contacted both Apple and Samsung for comment on this latest German court ruling.

Update
Samsung sent us a statement, which said, “We are disappointed that the court did not share our views regarding the infringement by Apple of this specific patent in Germany. It should be noted that today’s ruling relates to only one of several patents asserted by Samsung in the Mannheim court.

“Today’s ruling is of no indicative value as to whether Apple may be found to infringe other of Samsung’s intellectual property rights in Germany. Rulings on additional Samsung patents relating to telecommunications standards are due to be handed down by the Mannheim court within the next few days and weeks, and specific legal analysis of whether Apple infringed on these patents will result in distinct rulings.

“We will wait for the written grounds of today’s judgment, and after thorough review make a decision about a possible appeal to the Higher Regional Court Karlsruhe.” µ