Apple: Justice Department Investigating Samsung's Use of Patents

The Department of Justice is investigating whether Samsung has misused some of its mobile-device patents in ways that violate antitrust law, rival Apple said in a filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The department is investigating Samsung's use of patents that are deemed essential to wireless-technology standards adopted by the industry, Apple said. According to a person familiar with the probe, the department has been conducting the investigation for several months. The European Commission also has been investigating Samsung's patent conduct, a probe it announced in late January. The ITC is one of several legal bodies that are refereeing patent-infringement disputes between the two companies.