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Japan judge dismisses Apple suit against Samsung

A week after Apple scored a major victory over Samsung, a similar suit has been tossed out by a Japanese court. 

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Reuters
A Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer is seen in a South Korean store. This week, a judge in Japan has tossed an Apple lawsuit which claimed Samsung infringed on a key iPhone and iPad-related patent.
  • By Matthew Shaer

You win some, you lose some. 

A week after a California jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple approximately $1 billion in damages, a judge in Japan has dismissed a similar claim – also filed by Apple – against Samsung. According to the Washington Post, Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji ruled today that a media synchronization feature on Samsung tablets and smartphones did not violate Apple patents. 

"The defendant's products do not seem like they used the same technology as the plaintiff's products so we turn down the complaints made by [Apple]," Shoji told the court. 

The verdict was welcome relief for Samsung, which saw shares in the company temporarily slump in the wake of the Aug. 24 ruling in California. As the Financial Times points out, the iPhone has been the most popular smartphone in Japan for years, although the Samsung Galaxy line has more recently challenged the supremacy of the Apple handset. An adverse ruling would have hurt Samsung's clout in Japan. 

In fact, Taurus Investment Securities analyst Kim Hyung Sik told Bloomberg, the ruling could have international implications for Samsung, which has been sued by Apple in several countries, including Australia and England. "This will likely turn the tide in favor of Samsung," Hyung Sik said. "Samsung had this win in a country that’s strong at intellectual property. The mood is turning positive for Samsung."

Last week, a California court ruled that Samsung had infringed on a range of Apple patents pertaining to the iPad and iPhone. Apple is currently seeking injunctions against eight Samsung handsets that use the affected patents. 

For more on how technology intersects daily life, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut.

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