The Apple/Samsung patent war is shaping up to be an international version of Ali/Foreman, or at the very least Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper. The tech giants have been duking it out in courts around the world (resulting in huge payouts for the lawyers who have been working on the case).

Samsung has been taking it on the chin lately, the South Korean electronics giant has been called out by a European anti-trust group. And now, the tech company has suffered a defeat on its own home turf, as a Seoul court has ruled that Apple's smartphones do not violate Samsung patents.

The case in question revolved around claims that Apple's iPhone 4S and 5 devices infringed on multiple patents related to messaging technology held by Samsung. But the Seoul Central District Court rejected all of the claims, denying damages sought and striking down two patents as invalid.

Representatives from Samsung, of course, expressed displeasure with the ruling, especially in light of previous rulings in Korean courts that had largely been in Samsung's favor.

The international scope of this rivalry continues, as a ruling has come down from Germany as well. The German court ruled in Samsung's favor, denying Apple's claims that a Samsung device infringed on patented language-input technology. And, in the United States, a California court ordered Samsung to pay Apple an additional $290 million on top of a previous $640 million settlement.

It's clear that the battle between these two tech companies is far from over, and there are certain to be more international rulings coming down the pike sooner rather than later.

 

In the meantime, check out the patent-related stories below:

 

Merck and Co. agrees to $27.7 million payout for multiple Fosamax lawsuits

Micron, Rambus end 13-year legal feud

Global patent filings experience fastest growth in almost two decades

 

The Apple/Samsung patent war is shaping up to be an international version of Ali/Foreman, or at the very least Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper. The tech giants have been duking it out in courts around the world (resulting in huge payouts for the lawyers who have been working on the case).

Samsung has been taking it on the chin lately, the South Korean electronics giant has been called out by a European anti-trust group. And now, the tech company has suffered a defeat on its own home turf, as a Seoul court has ruled that Apple's smartphones do not violate Samsung patents.

The case in question revolved around claims that Apple's iPhone 4S and 5 devices infringed on multiple patents related to messaging technology held by Samsung. But the Seoul Central District Court rejected all of the claims, denying damages sought and striking down two patents as invalid.

Representatives from Samsung, of course, expressed displeasure with the ruling, especially in light of previous rulings in Korean courts that had largely been in Samsung's favor.

The international scope of this rivalry continues, as a ruling has come down from Germany as well. The German court ruled in Samsung's favor, denying Apple's claims that a Samsung device infringed on patented language-input technology. And, in the United States, a California court ordered Samsung to pay Apple an additional $290 million on top of a previous $640 million settlement.

It's clear that the battle between these two tech companies is far from over, and there are certain to be more international rulings coming down the pike sooner rather than later.

 

In the meantime, check out the patent-related stories below:

 

Merck and Co. agrees to $27.7 million payout for multiple Fosamax lawsuits

Micron, Rambus end 13-year legal feud

Global patent filings experience fastest growth in almost two decades