Dutch court orders Samsung to pay damages to Apple

In what has come as a big blow to Samsung, a Dutch court recently ruled that the South Korean giant's Galaxy smartphones and tablets infringe an Apple patent. Samsung has been ordered to pay damages to Apple -- how much will be decided upon based on the profit the company amassed from the sales.

The Dutch court went on to add that the patent battle pertains to the Android OS versions 2.2.1 and 3.0 used on the company's Galaxy line of tablets and smartphones. The Dutch court judgment is the latest to come in the long standing patent battle between the two technology giants.

Apple sought the inclusion of the Samsung Galaxy Note II to the list of devices, which allegedly infringes on Apple's patents, the Sydney Morning Herald reported recently. This development marks the continuation of the attempts of the warring companies to get sales bans implemented on each other’s products, which they believe infringe their respective patents. As per the filings at the San Jose federal court in California, not only does Apple want Samsung’s Jelly Bean-running devices included in the list, but also those running the Ice Cream Sandwich version. 

Samsung ordered to pay damages to Apple

Only recently did Samsung Electronics receive a go-ahead by a US Magistrate, Judge Paul Grewal, in San Jose, California, to put forth its claims that the Apple iPhone 5 violates its patents. The US judge also allowed Apple to go ahead with its claims that the Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy S III, and the Google-owned Android Jelly Bean operating system violate its patents. This development is the latest in what has been a longstanding patent battle involving Cupertino-based Apple and brands manufacturing Android-running devices, Samsung being one of them. At the time, both companies had refused to comment. 

Recently, Apple was ordered by a US judge to reveal the details of its legal settlement with HTC to arch rival Samsung Electronics. The South Korean mobile phone manufacturer had reportedly sought the details of the settlement with HTC earlier and had filed a motion to further it. Also included in the details sought are terms of a 10-year patents licensing agreement. A settlement between Cupertino-based Apple and Taiwan-based HTC had been reached upon only recently (November 10), the details of which were kept secretive. 

Legal experts have added that by knowing the specifics of the Apple-HTC settlement, and licensing details, Samsung's efforts to block Apple's efforts to install a permanent sales ban on its products will get a boost. Samsung opines that it is "almost certain" that Apple's deal with HTC covers some of the same patents involved in its own patent battle with Apple.

Apple was directed on Wednesday by the court to furnish a full copy of the settlement agreement "without delay", subject to an Attorneys-Eyes-Only designation.

Reports citing court documents indicate that Samsung requested a California court to add three of Apple's newly released products -- the iPod Touch 5, the iPad 4 and the iPad mini -- to the existing list of devices that Samsung claims to have infringed on some of its patents.

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