Apple & Samsung are embroiled in one of the most fiercest of patent battles the tech history has ever seen. While we are awaiting the result of the just concluded patent battle in the US, ironically both Apple & Samsung have been hit with sales ban in South Korea along with fines of US$35,400 and US$22,000 repectively to each other.
As per reports, the Seoul District Court in a split ruling found Apple to be violating two of Samsung’s patents related to networking and the judge has thus banned Apple’s four products which includes iPhone 3GS & 4 as well as the iPad & iPad2 along with the above said fine.
At the same time, Samsung has also been found guilty of violating Apple’s bounce back patent which has led to the banning of about 10 Samsung products which includes the likes of the Galaxy SII, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 10.1 along with the fine.
Interestingly, the court ruled that Samsung’s products do not infringe Apple’s design patents or even the slide to unlock software patent.
At the end of the day it’s neither Apple nor Samsung which has lost, but the consumers in South Korea who will not be able to lay their hands on some great products due to the patent battle these tech giants are involved in.
The verdict has not been finalised yet giving Apple & Samsung to appeal against the injunction or even reach an out of court settlement which as we all know by now is out of question.
