Apple Exempts Samsung Galaxy S III Mini from Ongoing Infringement Lawsuit

By: Jeff Stewart  |   December 31st, 2012   |   Apple, News, Smartphones

The year 2012 brought several moments of joy for Samsung especially when it comes to scoring new sales records. At the same time, the South Korean company also went through some real tough times, particularly when Apple won the historically huge $1 billion patents case against them.

 

Nevertheless, the year seems to be closing on a good note for the electronics giant, as Reuters reported that Apple has withdrawn its copyright claims against one Samsung device from a long list of others which the Cupertino company claims to have allegedly violated their exclusive rights. This particular device from Samsung is the latest Super AMOLED display, Galaxy S III Mini.

 

Apple did not include the Galaxy S III Mini earlier in the famous $1 billion lawsuit, because it was not released by Samsung until then. In their ongoing patent law suit, the Late Steve Job’s company decided to include this recently launched smartphone because of its availability in the United States via Amazon.com.

 

However, Samsung on the other hand has held the position that they are not “making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing the Galaxy S III Mini in the United States.”

 

As a result of this relentless assertion from Samsung, Apple finally agreed to drop the S III Mini from the current litigation. The iPhone maker then filed a request with the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California last Friday, which exempted S III Mini from this lawsuit. Apple did this on one condition that “the current withdrawal will not prejudice Apple’s ability later to accuse the Galaxy S III Mini if the factual circumstances change.”

 

This means that if Samsung tried to sell, make, use or import Galaxy S III Mini in the U.S. Apple will once again put it back on the patent infringement devices list.

 

Source: Mashable