Apple IPhone designs copied by Samsung, Appeals Court says

[WASHINGTON] Apple Inc's patented designs on its signature iPhone mobile phone were copied by chief rival Samsung Electronics Inc, a US appeals court ruled on Monday.

The appeals court did throw out part of the case, saying that the overall look of the iPhone can't be protected, and asked a lower court to recalculate US$930 million in damages awarded to Apple in 2013.

According to a Samsung court filing, the portion of the damage award that will be tossed is US$382 million, leaving US$548 million that the Suwon, South Korea-based company would potentially have to pay to Apple.

Apple and Samsung have dropped all of their global battles except the issue decided Monday and a second case, also before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The second case, involving Apple's contention that it should be allowed to force Samsung to remove certain patented features from Galaxy phones, is still pending. The two cases will determine the eventual outcome of a dispute that's continued for five years and spanned the globe.

The patented design elements that were copied were the front face of the phone, the bezel and the graphical user interface. Samsung also used Apple inventions for gesturing and a way to double tap on a document to enlarge and center it, the three-judge panel ruled.

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