Dutch Court Rules Samsung Didn’t Infringe Apple Patents

A Dutch court has ruled Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets do not infringe Apple’s multi-touch patents.

Apple had argued that the Samsung devices infringe the patent, which covers technology allowing users to use two fingers on the screen at the same time to perform the ‘pinch to zoom’ function.

The iPhone manufacturer has taken a number of other mobile phone manufacturers to court over the functionality in recent times and even lost an attempt to gain a preliminary injunction regarding the Apple patent in the Netherlands last year.

Samsung Apple patents war continues

It has also lost legal battles over Apple patents with HTC in the UK and with Samsung and Google-owned Motorola Mobility in Germany.

“With these products Samsung does not infringe the claims that Apple has made,” The Hague-based court said in its ruling, which also acknowledged that it was similar to those in the aforementioned two countries. The Hague is increasingly being seen as a desirable battlefield by mobile manufacturers due to the cheap and swift court proceedings.

Samsung welcomed the decision, which is its second patent victory over Apple this week. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruled that Apple’s patent which covers the bounce-back scrolling feature is invalid as it is neither new nor original.

The Korean manufacturer has also been triumphant in the UK, where Apple will have to run adverts in several major UK publications and on its website stating that Samsung didn’t copy the design of its mobile devices after it lost its appeal at the High Court. The original ruling had stated that the iPad  and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 could not possibly be confused with each other as the Samsung device wasn’t “cool” enough.

However, it has lost the biggest case of them all in the US, where it was found guilty of infringing on Apple’s software and design patents. The District Court in California ordered Samsung to pay Apple £664 million in damages, but the iPhone manufacturer is seeking more money as well as a permanent ban on some products.

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