25 Aug 2012

Korean court rules against Apple and Samsung

11:50 am on 25 August 2012

A court on South Korea has ruled that Apple and Samsung both infringed each other's patents on mobile devices.

A limited ban has been imposed on national sales of products by both companies covered by the ruling.

The court in Seoul ruled on Friday that Apple infringed two patents held by Samsung, while the Korean firm violated one of Apple's patents.

The BBC reports the sales ban will apply to Apple's iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and its tablets the iPad and iPad 2.

Samsung products affected by the ban include its smartphone models Galaxy SI and SII and its Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet PCs.

The court ordered Apple to pay 40 million won ($US35,000) in damages and Samsung was told to pay Apple 25 million won.

The decision comes as a jury in California is deliberating on a patent trial between the two firms in the United States, where Apple is seeking more than $US2.5 billion from Samsung, for violating patented designs and features in the iPad and iPhone.