Apple violated two Samsung patents related to mobile data transfer technologies, the Seoul Central District Court said.
Samsung, the world’s largest mobile phone maker, infringed one Apple patent related to a “bounce-back” touchscreen feature, it didn’t copy the design of the iPhone, the court said.
The Korean case echoes Apple and Samsung’s ongoing battle in California, where a federal court is considering a clutch of design and technology patent infringement claims and counter claims.
The companies have sued each other on four continents since April, accusing each other of copying products, design and technology as they battle for dominance of a smartphone market estimated to be worth $219 billion.
The sales bans imposed by the court in Seoul don’t cover Apple’s iPhone 4S, its newest iPad, or Samsung’s latest products including the Galaxy SIII phone, all of which were released after the lawsuits were filed.
“We welcome today’s ruling, which affirms our position that Apple has been using our mobile telecommunications standards patents without having obtained the necessary licenses,” Samsung said in a statement.
“Today’s ruling also affirmed our position that one single company cannot monopolize generic design features.”
Under the ruling, Apple must stop selling the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1 and iPad 2 in South Korea, while Samsung must stop selling 12 products including the Galaxy S, Galaxy SII and Galaxy Tab. The sales bans take effect immediately, though the companies can appeal.
On damages, Apple must pay Samsung £22,000, and the Korean company must pay its American rival £14,000.
Observers said the South Korean would have limited impact compared on the main battle in California.
“The US case is the important one. even a neutral verdict there would be a victory for Samsung,” Kim Hyung Sik, an analyst at Taurus Investment Securities, said.
In the US trial, Apple is seeking $2.5bn to $2.75bn in damages for its claims that Samsung infringed four design patents and three software patents in copying the iPhone and iPad. Apple also wants to make permanent a preliminary ban it won on US sales of a Samsung tablet computer and extend the ban to the South Korean company’s smartphones.
Samsung is meanwhile seeking as much as $421.8m in royalties that the company claims it’s owed for Apple’s infringement of two patents covering mobile-technology standards and three utility patents.
The jury is currently considering its verdict.