Tokyo court rules Samsung did not infringe on Apple invention for synchronizing music and video data with servers


A Tokyo court ruled on Friday in favor of Samsung Electronics, saying the Korean company did not infringe on an Apple patent related to transferring media content from computers to smartphones and tablets.

The ruling is the latest in a global court battle between the two tech behemoths over patents used in mobile devices after the U.S. crucial ruling last week that dealt a blow to Samsung.

“It is hard to believe the products belong to the range of technologies of the claimant,” Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji said in dismissing Apple’s case, according to Bloomberg.

Apple was ordered by Shoji to pay costs of the lawsuit after his verdict.

Samsung welcomed Japan’s verdict, saying that the decision confirmed that its products did not violate Apple’s patents.

“Samsung Electronics will do our best to contribute to steadily innovate the mobile industry provide the best-quality products to the Japanese market,” said a Samsung PR official in a statement.

Apple was seeking 100 million yen ($1.27 million) in compensation from Samsung’s Japanese units, and had accused it of stealing technology used to transfer music and video files.

Samsung has steadfastly denied its rival’s claims in a string of similar cases filed across the globe.

Apple and Samsung are battling over the smartphone market, estimated by Bloomberg Industries to be worth $219 billion last year, with patent disputes being litigated on four continents. Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict in the U.S. on Aug. 24, with a jury finding that Suwon-based Samsung infringed six of seven patents for mobile devices. The two companies are also bound by commercial deals involving components supply.

Samsung has pledged to keep fighting the case, and said that if it stands “it will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices.”

Japan is one of nine countries where the two companies, both rivals and partners in the mobile industry, are facing off against each another. Samsung has filed claims for 10 patents, while the Silicon Valley firm has raised two claims against the top smartphone maker.

Analysts said Japan’s verdict is expected to boost Samsung’s sales of smartphones and tablets. The company generated about 12 percent of its revenue from Asia, excluding South Korea and China, in the quarter ending June 30, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Apple got 5.7 percent of its sales in Japan during the same period, according to the data.

“This will likely turn the tide in favor of Samsung,” Kim Hyung-sik, Seoul-based analyst at Taurus Investment Securities Co., told Bloomberg. “Samsung had this win in a country that is strong at intellectual property. The mood is turning positive for Samsung.”

Both companies were barred from selling some phones and tablet computers in South Korea on Aug. 24 when a Seoul Central District Court ruled they infringed each other’s patents.

“If courts in other countries also rule in favor of Samsung, the move may raise backlash against U.S. trade protectionism. This may add pressure to the U.S. judge’s ruling expected in September,” said An Seong-ho, an analyst at Hanwha Securities Co, according to Yonhap News.

U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh, who presided over the U.S. trial, is likely to rule on the patent litigation in September following an Aug. 24 jury verdict. The judge is slated to hold a hearing on Apple’s request to permanently ban the sales of eight Samsung devices in the U.S. on Dec. 6.

By Park Min-young and news reports 
(claire@heraldcorp.com)