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미국국제무역위원회(ITC)는 9일 (현지시간) 애플이 삼성전자를 상대로 낸 스마트폰 특허침해 건에서 애플의 주장을 받아들여 일부 삼성 구형제품의 미국 내 수입 및 판매를 금지하는 결정을 내렸다.
버락 오바마 미국 대통령이 지난 3일, ITC가 내린 애플의 일부 제품에 대한 수입 금지 결정에 거부권을 행사한지 일주일도 안되어 애플에게 유리한 판결이 내려졌는데, 이로서 미국의 ‘보호무역’ 논쟁도 가열될 것으로 보인다.
ITC의 리사 바튼 위원장 대행은 이날 자체 웹사이트에 게재한 결정문에서 “ITC는 삼성이 미국 관세법 337조을 어겼다고 판단했다”며 일부 삼성 제품의 미국내 수입 및 판매를 금지하는 결정을 오바마 대통령과 무역대표부에 전달하겠다고 밝혔다.
대상이 된 제품은 삼성의 주력 제품은 아니지만 어느 정도 타격은 피할 수 없을 것으로 보인다.
ITC는 애플이 삼성전자의 침해를 주장한 상용 특허 3건과 디자인 특허 1건 중 상용특허 2건에 대해서만 침해를 인정했고, 디자인 특허를 포함한 2건의 특허에 대해 서는 '비침해' 결정을 내렸다.
침해를 인정한 특허는 리스틱스를 이용한 그래픽 사용자 환경 관련 특허(특허번호 949특허) 와 ‘헤드셋 인식 방법 관련 특허(501특허)’다. 이 중 ‘949특허’는 애플의 전 CEO인 스티브 잡스가 개발에 참여한 것 중 가장 대표적인 것으로, 작년 12월 미국 특허청(USPTO)으로부터 무효라는 예비 판정을 받은 바 있다.
삼성은 이번 결정에 대해 “디자인 특허는 인정되지 않았으나 당사 제품에 수입금지 조치를 내리는 것에 대해 유감으로 생각한다”며 “당사의 주장이 받아들여질 수 있도록 법적 절차를 포함한 모든 조치를 취할 것”이라고 공식입장을 밝혔다.
한편 그동안 삼성전자에게 ‘모방꾼’이라는 오명을 씌우게 한 ‘모서리가 둥근 직사각형 모양이며 앞면이 평평한 아이폰의 전면 디자인 특허(678특허)’에 관해서는 비침해 결정이 나와 삼성에 다소 유리하게 작용할 것으로 보인다.
ITC는 미국 관세법 337조에 의거해 미국에 수입되는 물품이 특허를 침해했는지 여부를 판단해 특허 침해 제품에 대해 수입 금지를 결정한다.
ITC는 앞서 지난해 10월 갤럭시S와 갤럭시S2, 갤럭시 넥서스, 갤럭시탭 등 삼성 전자의 스마트폰과 태블릿PC가 애플의 상용특허와 디자인특허 등을 침해했다는 예비 판정을 내렸다. 이후 ITC는 지난 5월 이에 대한 재심사 결정을 내렸으며, 애초 지난 1일 최종 판정을 내릴 예정이었으나 이를 연기했었다.
오바마 대통령은 준사법적 독립기구인 ITC의 권고를 받은 날로부터 60일 내에 이를 받아들일지, 거부권을 행사할지를 결정해야 한다. 삼성은 이 검토 기간에 공탁금을 내고 수입을 계속할 수 있다.
일각에서는 공정성을 이유로 삼성전자의 수입금지 결정에 대해서도 오바마 대통령이 거부권을 행사할 것이라는 관측도 있다. 양사 제품에 대한 수입금지는 모두 거부하고 법원에서 해결하는 쪽으로 유도할 것이라는 추측이다.
그러나 업계에서는 표준특허 남용에 대한 우려를 명분으로 거부권을 행사한 애플의 수입 금지 결정과 달리, 이번 건은 상용특허 등과 관련되었기 때문에 거부권을 행사하지 않을 가능성이 큰 것으로 보고 있다.
삼성전자는 이날 나온 ITC의 최종 결정에 대해 항고할 것으로 알려졌다. (코리아헤럴드)
<관련 영문 기사>
U.S. trade panel bans imports of some Samsung products
A U.S. trade panel ruled Friday that Samsung Electronics Co. infringed on two of Apple Inc.'s patents in making some smartphones and tablet PCs, largely older models.
In its final ruling, the International Trade Commission (ITC) placed a ban on the imports of those devices manufactured by the South Korean firm, accepting Apple's complaints filed in 2012.
"The U.S. International Trade Commission has found a violation of section 337 in this investigation and has issued a limited exclusion order" prohibiting Samsung from importing certain electronic digital media devices, announced Lisa R. Barton, acting secretary to the commission.
It is subject to a 60-day presidential review period and it will take effect if approved by the Obama administration.
The ITC's decision represents yet another home-turf victory, albeit partial, for the Silicon Valley-based firm in its years-long patent war.
In a preliminary decision in October, an administrative law judge at the ITC found Samsung had violated four valid Apple patents -- one design patent and three technical patents.
But the ITC's highest-level decision-making body concluded that Samsung infringed on only two of them, related to touch screens and headset technology.
It disagreed with an early judgment that Samsung violated two more Apple patents -- a design patent and a translucent images patent.
Most market watchers agree that an import ban on Samsung's gadgets would not seriously hurt its revenues as U.S. sales of its older models under the ITC's review are minimal.
Some industry watchers cautiously forecast that the Obama administration would also overrule the case. Otherwise, it will bring about an even larger international trade conflict, according to them.
But many others say the Obama government may accept the ITC's ruling, because the case centers on some of Apple's commercial patents, not standard-essential patents.
Samsung's products known to violate Apple's patents include the Galaxy S 4G, the Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as a handful of other smartphones and tablets released in 2010 and 2011.
The rival companies are engaged in legal disputes in about 10 countries.
Apple narrowly escaped a sales ban on its iPhone 4 and iPad 2 last week, when President Barack Obama's trade representative, Michael Froman, vetoed an ITC ruling issued in June.
This decision was the first time that the U.S. government has vetoed a ruling by the ITC in 25 years.
On June 4 of this year, ITC ruled that Apple infringed upon one of Samsung's standard-essential patents, putting a ban on older Apple devices such as the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G.
The ITC is an independent and quasi-judicial body that determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries and directs actions against unfair trade practices.
Samsung voiced disappointment with the ITC's latest ruling and stressed the importance of fair competition in global markets.
"We are disappointed that the ITC has issued an exclusion order based on two of Apple's patents," the company said in a statement.
"However, Apple has been stopped from trying to use its overbroad design patents to achieve a monopoly on rectangles and rounded corners."
"The proper focus for the smartphone industry is not a global war in the courts, but fair competition in the marketplace," it added. "Samsung will continue to launch many innovative products and we have already taken measures to ensure that all our of products will continue to be available in the United States." (Yonhap News)
U.S. trade panel bans imports of some Samsung products
A U.S. trade panel ruled Friday that Samsung Electronics Co. infringed on two of Apple Inc.'s patents in making some smartphones and tablet PCs, largely older models.
In its final ruling, the International Trade Commission (ITC) placed a ban on the imports of those devices manufactured by the South Korean firm, accepting Apple's complaints filed in 2012.
"The U.S. International Trade Commission has found a violation of section 337 in this investigation and has issued a limited exclusion order" prohibiting Samsung from importing certain electronic digital media devices, announced Lisa R. Barton, acting secretary to the commission.
It is subject to a 60-day presidential review period and it will take effect if approved by the Obama administration.
The ITC's decision represents yet another home-turf victory, albeit partial, for the Silicon Valley-based firm in its years-long patent war.
In a preliminary decision in October, an administrative law judge at the ITC found Samsung had violated four valid Apple patents -- one design patent and three technical patents.
But the ITC's highest-level decision-making body concluded that Samsung infringed on only two of them, related to touch screens and headset technology.
It disagreed with an early judgment that Samsung violated two more Apple patents -- a design patent and a translucent images patent.
Most market watchers agree that an import ban on Samsung's gadgets would not seriously hurt its revenues as U.S. sales of its older models under the ITC's review are minimal.
Some industry watchers cautiously forecast that the Obama administration would also overrule the case. Otherwise, it will bring about an even larger international trade conflict, according to them.
But many others say the Obama government may accept the ITC's ruling, because the case centers on some of Apple's commercial patents, not standard-essential patents.
Samsung's products known to violate Apple's patents include the Galaxy S 4G, the Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as a handful of other smartphones and tablets released in 2010 and 2011.
The rival companies are engaged in legal disputes in about 10 countries.
Apple narrowly escaped a sales ban on its iPhone 4 and iPad 2 last week, when President Barack Obama's trade representative, Michael Froman, vetoed an ITC ruling issued in June.
This decision was the first time that the U.S. government has vetoed a ruling by the ITC in 25 years.
On June 4 of this year, ITC ruled that Apple infringed upon one of Samsung's standard-essential patents, putting a ban on older Apple devices such as the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G.
The ITC is an independent and quasi-judicial body that determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries and directs actions against unfair trade practices.
Samsung voiced disappointment with the ITC's latest ruling and stressed the importance of fair competition in global markets.
"We are disappointed that the ITC has issued an exclusion order based on two of Apple's patents," the company said in a statement.
"However, Apple has been stopped from trying to use its overbroad design patents to achieve a monopoly on rectangles and rounded corners."
"The proper focus for the smartphone industry is not a global war in the courts, but fair competition in the marketplace," it added. "Samsung will continue to launch many innovative products and we have already taken measures to ensure that all our of products will continue to be available in the United States." (Yonhap News)
