South Korea Court Says Samsung, Apple Infringed Each Other's Patents

A South Korea court delivered a split decision in its piece of the global legal battle between Apple and Samsung over mobile computing patents. A three-judge panel in Seoul Central District Court said Apple infringed two Samsung technology patents, while Samsung violated one of Apple's patents.

The court awarded small damages to both companies and said they must halt sales of the infringing products in South Korea. None of the banned products are the latest models of Samsung or Apple devices. The court also ruled that there was "no possibility" that consumers would confuse Samsung and Apple smartphones, and that Samsung's smartphone icons don't infringe Apple's patents. The ruling holds greater symbolic than practical impact as neither company gained an advantage in the broader dispute, which is playing out in trials in the U.S. and Australia this month and extends to nine countries in all.