US judge spurns Apple’s appeal to ban patent-infringing Samsung Galaxy devices

Apple's patents aren't really special

A US judge on denied Apple’s request to permanently ban Samsung from selling 23 older-model smartphones and tablets that a jury found infringed on patents held by the maker of iPhones and iPads.



Judge Lucy Koh said Apple Inc. failed to prove that the South Korean company’s patent infringement caused irreparable harm to Apple sales.
The ruling puts an end to Apple’s efforts that began in 2011 asking that a court move to strike down the import and sale of devices in the US which had been found to have infringed Apple’s own patents in terms of design and operation of handhelds, which includes the Galaxy s2 and Tab 10.



“Based on the totality of all the evidence, the Court finds that Apple has not shown the combined effect of the three patented features drive consumer demand,” Judge Koh said in her decision.



“The court concludes that Apple has not met its burden of proof to warrant an injunction,” Koh concluded. “Most significant is Apple’s failure to prove a casual nexus between Samsung’s infringement on Apple’s patents and Apple’s irreparable harm.”



The ruling came as the world’s two biggest smartphone makers prepare to go to court again later this month — this time over Apple’s allegations that Samsung’s newest devices, such as its Galaxy S III, also copied Apple technology.



The ruling Thursday stemmed from a 2012 verdict in which a jury agreed with Apple that Samsung had infringed touchscreen features.



However, Koh on Thursday denied Apple’s request for a permanent injunction to stop Samsung from selling the products, saying she was not convinced those features drove consumer demand.



Apple has argued in courts, government tribunals and regulatory agencies around the world that Samsung’s Android-based phones copy vital iPhone features. Samsung has fought back with its own complaints that some key Apple patents are invalid and that Apple has copied Samsung’s technology.



In November, a Silicon Valley jury added $290 million to damages awarded to Apple in connection with the 2012 jury verdict, bringing to $930 million the total amount owed by Samsung.