It can sometimes be difficult to keep up with all of Samsung and Apple's globe-trotting patent lawsuits, with the latest ruling coming from a Dutch court ordering a ban on several Galaxy devices.
The judge ruled in favor of Apple regarding a method of scrolling through photo galleries with a touchscreen, which will result in a Netherlands ban of most Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 2.2.1 or higher.
The exception is that the ban will not apply to Galaxy devices that feature Samsung's proprietary photo gallery software.
The software was developed in response to Samsung losing a case in the Netherlands over the exact same Apple patent last year.
However, Samsung didn't provide the court with evidence of the software change and refused to sign a declaration of abstinence pledging to cease infringing the patent.
Global woes
The Dutch judge added that Samsung must disclose the net profits from infringing Galaxy devices since June 27, 2011.
Samsung must also pay Apple 100,000 euros each day that its devices violate the ban, which comes to $129,575 (UK£80,899, AU$123,679) every 24 hours.
The ruling is the latest in the back and forth court cases between the two firms, with each claiming its fair share of victories and defeats.
In August, the South Korean company was found guilty of infringing on multiple Apple patents in the US for a verdict that costs Samsung $1.049 billion (UK£664 million, AU$1.014 billion).
On the other side of court rulings, last month Apple issued a U.K. court-ordered apology for accusing Samsung of copying the iPad's design.
Meanwhile, there's still another ongoing patent case in the U.S., which has no end in sight as the judge recently allowed both companies to add new products to each's list of complaints.
The two firms have been at each other's throats for well over a year in one patent dispute or another, and it's a trend that doesn't look likely to change as we head into 2013.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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