WASHINGTON—The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday ordered a ban on the import and sale of some Samsung Electronics Co. mobile devices after finding they infringed on two Apple Inc. patents.
The trade body, however, rejected other claims made by Apple and found that Samsung committed no violations with respect to four other patents held by the iPhone maker.
As part of its findings, the ITC overturned an administrative judge's earlier finding that Samsung infringed a potentially important Apple patent on phone design.
The ITC said Samsung can continue to import and sell its infringing devices during a two-month period in which the Obama administration can review Friday's order.
Samsung had warned the ITC that a product ban potentially could have a significant impact on the South Korean company's U.S. devices and create "an immediate and long-lasting shortfall" of smartphones in the U.S. market.
The ITC order is the latest setback to Samsung in its global patent battles with Apple.
The Obama administration last week vetoed a June ITC order in Samsung's favor that would have barred the sale of some older-model Apple devices. And earlier Friday, Samsung appeared to have a difficult time during an appeals court hearing on another patent fight between the two companies.
Apple, which had asserted patents covering the design and user interface associated with the iPhone and iPad, argued the ban on Samsung products was needed to protect its intellectual property and safeguard its ability to "reap the fruits" of its investments.
Samsung denied that it infringed the Apple patents but argued that even if it did, a product ban wasn't in the public interest. It said Apple's patents covered trivial features and argued than a ban would hurt consumers, wireless carriers and competition.
The case dates back to 2011 but potentially could have an impact beyond older Samsung devices that Apple challenged at the time.
Friday's ban may put new pressure on the Obama administration after it decided last week to veto Samsung's recent win against Apple at the ITC. The administration gets 60 days to review ITC product bans and can veto them on policy grounds. Last week's veto was the first of an ITC order in more than 25 years.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman made the decision to veto the Samsung win, based on policy concerns about companies obtaining product bans based on patents that cover technology used in industrywide standards.
Friday's case doesn't raise the same issue about "standard-essential" patents, but it may raise political and trade sensitivities for the Obama administration.
After last week's veto, the South Korean government said it would be closely watching the ITC's ruling Friday.
Separately Friday, a federal appeals court pressed Samsung on whether the company should have been allowed to continue selling a range of phones and tablets after a California jury found the products infringed other Apple patents.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit didn't clearly signal which way it intended to rule, but the three-judge panel that heard arguments by the two companies questioned portions of a trial judge's ruling last December that refused to ban 26 Samsung products.
In that earlier ruling, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, Calif. decided that an injunction against the Samsung products wasn't appropriate.
Write to Brent Kendall at [email protected]
The trade body, however, rejected other claims made by Apple and found that Samsung committed no violations with respect to four other patents held by the iPhone maker.
As part of its findings, the ITC overturned an administrative judge's earlier finding that Samsung infringed a potentially important Apple patent on phone design.
The ITC said Samsung can continue to import and sell its infringing devices during a two-month period in which the Obama administration can review Friday's order.
Samsung had warned the ITC that a product ban potentially could have a significant impact on the South Korean company's U.S. devices and create "an immediate and long-lasting shortfall" of smartphones in the U.S. market.
The ITC order is the latest setback to Samsung in its global patent battles with Apple.
The Obama administration last week vetoed a June ITC order in Samsung's favor that would have barred the sale of some older-model Apple devices. And earlier Friday, Samsung appeared to have a difficult time during an appeals court hearing on another patent fight between the two companies.
Apple, which had asserted patents covering the design and user interface associated with the iPhone and iPad, argued the ban on Samsung products was needed to protect its intellectual property and safeguard its ability to "reap the fruits" of its investments.
Samsung denied that it infringed the Apple patents but argued that even if it did, a product ban wasn't in the public interest. It said Apple's patents covered trivial features and argued than a ban would hurt consumers, wireless carriers and competition.
The case dates back to 2011 but potentially could have an impact beyond older Samsung devices that Apple challenged at the time.
Friday's ban may put new pressure on the Obama administration after it decided last week to veto Samsung's recent win against Apple at the ITC. The administration gets 60 days to review ITC product bans and can veto them on policy grounds. Last week's veto was the first of an ITC order in more than 25 years.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman made the decision to veto the Samsung win, based on policy concerns about companies obtaining product bans based on patents that cover technology used in industrywide standards.
Friday's case doesn't raise the same issue about "standard-essential" patents, but it may raise political and trade sensitivities for the Obama administration.
After last week's veto, the South Korean government said it would be closely watching the ITC's ruling Friday.
Separately Friday, a federal appeals court pressed Samsung on whether the company should have been allowed to continue selling a range of phones and tablets after a California jury found the products infringed other Apple patents.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit didn't clearly signal which way it intended to rule, but the three-judge panel that heard arguments by the two companies questioned portions of a trial judge's ruling last December that refused to ban 26 Samsung products.
In that earlier ruling, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, Calif. decided that an injunction against the Samsung products wasn't appropriate.
Write to Brent Kendall at [email protected]