Apple’s request to ban Samsung sales in US denied by judge

Despite jury finding Samsung stole Apple patents, Apple’s request to ban sale of Samsung Galaxy S2 in US is denied.

13:55 19 December 2012

US District Judge Lucy H Koh in San Jose, California, has ruled against Apple and denied its request to ban the sale of Samsung in the United States. In her ruling, the judge said: “Apple failed to establish that consumer demand for Samsung products was driven by technology it stole.”

She added that it wasn’t in the public interest to ban Samsung’s devices because the infringing elements constituted a limited part of Samsung’s phones.

The judge somewhat saw the situation as a healthy competition among smartphone providers saying: “Samsung may have cut into Apple’s customer base somewhat, but there is no suggestion that Samsung will wipe out Apple’s customer base, or force Apple out of the business of making smartphones.

“The present case involves lost sales - not a lost ability to be a viable market participant.”

According to Samsung, only three devices among the 26 that Apple sought to block are still being sold in the market. These include the Galaxy S II by T- Mobile, Galaxy S II Epic and Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

There will be another trial involving Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Apple’s newest phone, the iPhone 5.

The two companies will battle it out in court yet again after accusing each other of copying products. The same judge is expected to hear the case which is supposedly scheduled for trial in 2014.