Japan judge dismisses Apple suit against Samsung
You win some, you lose some.聽
A week after a California jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple approximately $1 billion in damages, a judge in Japan has dismissed a similar claim 鈥� also filed by Apple 鈥� against Samsung. to the Washington Post, Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji ruled today that a media synchronization feature on Samsung tablets and smartphones did not violate Apple patents.聽
"The defendant's products do not seem like they used the same technology as the plaintiff's products so we turn down the complaints made by [Apple]," Shoji the court.聽
The verdict was welcome relief for Samsung, which saw shares in the company temporarily slump in the wake of the Aug. 24 ruling in California. As the Financial Times , the iPhone has been the most popular smartphone in Japan for years, although the Samsung Galaxy line has more recently challenged the supremacy of the Apple handset. An adverse ruling would have hurt Samsung's clout in Japan.聽
In fact, Taurus Investment Securities analyst聽Kim Hyung Sik told Bloomberg, the ruling could have international implications for Samsung, which has been sued by Apple in several countries, including Australia and England. "This will likely turn the tide in favor of Samsung," Hyung Sik . "Samsung had this win in a country that鈥檚 strong at intellectual property. The mood is turning positive for Samsung."
Last week, a California court聽ruled聽that Samsung had infringed on a range of Apple patents pertaining to the iPad and iPhone.聽Apple is currently seeking injunctions against eight Samsung handsets that use the affected patents.聽
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