Some Samsung products were ordered banned by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Friday in light of apparent patent infringements.
The FTC ruled on Friday that Samsung Electronics Co Ltd infringes on portions of two Apple Inc patents regarding digital mobile devices.
The decision will likely increase tensions between the two companies, who have been locked in legal battles over several alleged patent infringements , reports Reuters.
The latest FTC ruling comes one week after the Obama administration overturned an ITC ruling that would have banned sales of some Apple iPhones and iPads in the US.
The move was the first ITC ruling veto in decades on triggered concerns by some that the Obama administration is not unbiased in the incident.
The FTC did not list the Samsung products to be banned, notes The New York Times. However, it will likely only affect older models, since the lawsuit stems from 2011.
And allowing the ban on Samsung devices stand after intervention in the Apple case could spell bad news for the United States. Susan Ross, an International trade lawyer for Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, commented that the decision will likely give Apple significant leverage in the battle against Samsung.
It is possible that the South Korean company will be more likely to concede in future disputes against Apple, in order to avoid additional patent issues in the US. A jury also awarded Apple $1 billion in damages last year after it ruled the American company’s mobile patents had been violated.
The settlement was later reduced to $599 million, but the decision still did not bode well for Samsung. Apple also argued to a federal appeals court on Friday that it should grant a permanent ban on the sale of some Samsung products. The request has already been denied, but the latest court has not yet made a decision.
President Obama has 60 days to make a decision on the FTC ruling. If he does not overrule it, some of Samsung’s products will be banned from sales in the United States.
[Image via Adriano Castelli / Shutterstock.com ]
