The battle between smartphone giants Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has reached yet another interesting twist, as Apple was handed a partial victory by a U.S. appeals court. The court decision upheld findings that Samsung copied several of Apple's patented innovations for the iPhone.
Though the court decision also means that the $930 million verdict awarded to Apple must be reconsidered, the company considers the court ruling a great victory, according to Reuters.
"This is a victory for design and those who respect it," Apple said in a statement.
However, the appeals court ruled against Apple's "trade dress" claims, which claims that Samsung intentionally copied the iPhone's design elements such as the phone's rounded corners and the use of screen icons, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Such features are commonly based on functional elements of a smartphone and thus, were not entitled to legal protections under U.S. trademark law.
Samsung has also released a statement, welcoming the ruling wholeheartedly and focusing on the part of the ruling that was in its favor.
"We welcome the U.S. Court of Appeals' ruling overturning Apple's infringement and damage claims against Samsung over trade dress," the statement said.
"We remain confident that our products do not infringe on Apple's design patents and other intellectual property, and we will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect our products," it added.
Apple and Samsung have been in a legal dispute since the days of Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who was fiercely protective of the company's proprietary designs and innovations, according to Reuters.
The court's decision appears to be good for the stocks of both companies, however. Samsung shares are reported to have climbed 2.6 percent in Seoul after the court issued the decision, while Apple shares rose by as much as 1.8 percent.
