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Apple secures another countrywide ban on Samsung phones

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Reuters
Samsung flags are set up at the main entrance before the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin in August. A Dutch court has ordered Samsung to halt the sales of certain mobile devices.
  • By Matthew Shaer

Apple has won the latest battle in its long-simmering war with Samsung. 

On Wednesday, a court in The Netherlands ruled that a scrolling feature used in Samsung's mobile software infringed upon a key Apple patent, and ordered Samsung to halt sales on a range of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

"The ban only applies to Galaxy products that run Android 2.2.1 and higher that don't use Samsung's proprietary photo gallery software," IDG News reported. 

The patent in question allows users to flick, pinch, and scroll their way through images saved onto Samsung devices. 

"Samsung is disappointed with the court's ruling," the South Korean company said in a message to the tech site The Inquirer. "Apple has been trying to limit consumer choice and discourage innovation through their excessive and flawed legal arguments. We remain confident that our products are unique, and we will continue to take all available measures to protect consumer choice in the Netherlands."

Samsung had previously won a June court victory against Apple, which was deemed by a Dutch court to have violated a patent related to Internet connectivity. 

"Both these companies need to understand that some cases will be won by Samsung and some by Apple," tech analyst Manoj Menon told the BBC at the time. 

In related news, Samsung recently announced it sold 5 million Samsung Galaxy Note II "phablets" in two months. The Note II is a close cousin of the Samsung Galaxy S III, the device that currently holds the title of the most popular smartphone in the world. 

For more tech news, follow us on Twitter @venturenaut.

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