Apple Inc. (AAPL) Loses Appeal For A Ban On Samsung Galaxy Nexus

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has lost an appeal in its bid to get the Samsung Galaxy Nexus banned in the U.S. Last month Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) dropped its plan to try to get Apple’s products banned in Europe.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Loses Appeal For A Ban On Samsung Galaxy Nexus

In October a three-judge panel decided that there would be no sales ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, and Reuters reports today that the Federal Court of Appeals rejected Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s attempt to push the ban through. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) was required to pay Apple $1.05 billion for patent infringement last year. The patents involved in that case did not include the Galaxy Nexus, but Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was trying to get the phone banned before the patent trial for that case, which is set for March 2014.

The October ruling set a precedent that strengthens Samsung’s position in this case. It allowed the company’s devices to stay on the market as it continues to battle Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) over patents in global markets. Most legal experts believe that Apple’s likelihood of getting the Galaxy Nexus banned was very slim. The tech giant could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but other legal cases have also made it more difficult for companies seeking to get competing products banned from sales because of patent fights.

Today’s appeal is just the latest in a long line of patent wars between Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94). Many people view the battles as Apple’s way of engaging Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) without actually involving the search giant. Samsung is Apple’s only close competition in the battle for smartphone market share. Samsung’s phones run on Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android operating system.

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