A German court on Friday found Apple Inc.’s patent infringement claim on Samsung Electronics Co. invalid, giving an upper hand to the South Korean company that suffered a crushing defeat in an earlier U.S. jury verdict.

The district court in Mannheim ruled Samsung didn’t infringe the iPhone maker’s patent on multi-touch flags. The patent is one of the six intellectual properties Apple addressed in its June 2011 claim against the South Korean tech titan.

Samsung welcomed the German court ruling, pledging to continue its efforts to satisfy consumers.

“For decades, we have heavily invested in pioneering the development of technological and design innovations in the mobile industry, which have been constantly reflected in our products,” the company said in a statement.

“We will continue to further develop and introduce products that enhance the lives of German consumers.”

Four of Apple’s six claims are pending are a court ruling, while the remaining claim has also been ruled invalid. (Yonhap News)