German court dismisses two Apple-Samsung patent suits

Monday, 5 March 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MANNHEIM, Germany, (Reuters): A German court on Friday dismissed two cases brought by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics against each other as part of a global battle for dominance in the market for smartphones and tablet devices.

The decision by a regional court in Mannheim covered a claim by Apple that Samsung infringed on its slide-to-lock technology as well as one of three patents Samsung claimed Apple violated.

The two cases were among a flurry of patent disputes being brought to courts in Germany, as well as other countries around the world, as makers of smartphones and tablets compete for a market worth billions of dollars.

The court in Mannheim already ruled against Samsung regarding the two other patents in January, and there are cases regarding four additional patents held by Samsung and several by Apple pending there.

The court is expected to make a decision on March 16 on another slide-to-unlock suit Apple has brought against Samsung.

Samsung said in a statement on Friday it welcomed the court’s decision to dismiss Apple’s claims, which it said confirms its position that the Galaxy range is distinctive and does not infringe Apple’s intellectual property.

Apple was not immediately available to comment.

Apple first sued Samsung in April, claiming that the maker of the Galaxy range of smartphones and tablets “slavishly” copied Apple’s iPhone and iPad models.

Samsung also said it was disappointed by the fact that the court also dismissed its patent case against Apple, which concerned 3G/UMTS-essential patents, and said it would lodge an appeal with the Higher Regional Court in Karlsruhe.

The court in Karlsruhe earlier this week handed Apple a legal success over rival Motorola Mobility Holdings in a separate dispute, saying Motorola could no longer ask Apple to halt sales of iPhone and iPad devices for now.

Apple is also involved in patent battles with other smartphone makers using Google’s free Android platform, the fastest growing mobile operating system, which is also used on Samsung’s Galaxy range.