Appeals Court's Mixed Verdict For Samsung In Apple Patent Case

(RTTNews) - A federal appeals court on Monday gave a mixed verdict on one of the most closely fought patent lawsuit between Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. (SSNLF).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. ruled that smartphone maker Samsung infringed Apple's several patents, however, the court reversed a part of the $930 million damages awarded to iPhone maker in 2013 after ruling that appearance-related patents can not be protected.

The court has ordered against Apple's "trade dress" patent claims, referring to the design and shape or look of a product.

The appeal comes after an August 2012 trial in a San Jose federal court in which jurors found that a range of Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S II and the Droid Charge, infringed Apple's several patents. The jury had originally awarded $1.05 billion in damages, however, it was later lowered to $930 million after the trial judge ordered a retrial on some damages issues.

Apple and Samsung have dropped all of their legal lawsuits except this case and another one that is also before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.