Judge dismisses Samsung suit seeking to ban iPhone 4 sales
A South Korean court tosses out Samsung's patent infringement suit, which aimed to clear the country's store shelves of older versions of Apple's iPhones and iPads.
Apple's older iPhones and iPads will still be allowed for sale in South Korea.
A judge for the Seoul Central District Court dismissed a lawsuit on Wednesday that was brought by Samsung and aimed to ban sales of Apple's iPhone 4 and iPad 2, according to Reuters. Samsung's claim was for more than $95,000 in damages.
"We are disappointed by the court's decision," a Samsung spokesperson told CNET. "As Apple has continued to infringe our patented mobile technologies, we will continue to take the measures necessary to protect our intellectual property rights."
Samsung alleged these older devices infringed on three of its mobile patents and therefore shouldn't be allowed for sale in South Korea. This suit goes back to 2012 when an injunction was imposed on Apple's products. The injunction was issued during a separate case in which the Seoul court ruled that both Apple and Samsung violated each other's patents.
In the other case, the two smartphone giants were ordered to pay each other minimal damages for infringing on one another's patents. The court ruled Apple had violated two of Samsung's wireless technology patents, while Samsung violated one of Apple's patents -- for bounce-back technology.
However, the judge also said company logos on the devices would make it hard for consumers to mix them up and that buyers also look at price, brand, apps, operating systems, and services when choosing a product.
South Korea is just one of many battlegrounds Apple and Samsung have warred on. In 2012, Apple won a major victory in a San Jose, Calif., court after a jury found that Samsung had infringed on five Apple patents related to the iPhone's design and functionality. The damages for this case are still being decided, but they could end up being near $1 billion.
CNET also contacted Apple for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.
Update, December 12 at 9:35 a.m. PT: Adds comment from a Samsung spokesperson.