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Samsung wins the latest battle in the patent war against Apple.
Apple will not be allowed to sell early models of the iPhone and iPad in the United States,
after a U.S. federal agency found that the company violated a Samsung patent.
Yoo Li-an has the latest on the gadget wars between the world's two leading tech giants.
Apple won the biggest patent battle against Samsung last year,. but this time it was Samsung
that came out on top.
The U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday ruled that Apple infringed on a patent
that relates to 3G wireless technology owned by Samsung.
Apple now faces a U.S. sales ban of its AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone
3, 3G versions of the iPad 1 and 2.
The iPhone 5 and the latest iPad are exempt as they use a different technology,. but as
small carriers still rely heavily on the older models,. the ruling is expected to be a big
blow to Apple.
Unlike previous preliminary rulings, the ITC said "the determination is final, and the
investigation is terminated."
This means a decision to overturn the ruling now rests with the Federal Circuit or President
Obama himself,. who will have 60 days to review the sales ban to decide if he will let it
take effect.
Apple says it plans to appeal the decision and has expressed disappointment that the
trade commission overturned an earlier ruling.
Samsung welcomed the decision, saying it "confirmed Apple's history of free-riding on its technological
innovations."
The ruling overturned a decision made by an ITC judge last September who ruled Apple did
not violate Samsung's patents.
Up next in the patent battle between the two tech giants is the final ruling on the one
billion dollar infringement verdict by a California jury last year,. which gave Apple its biggest
victory over Samsung to date.
The final ruling in that case is slated for release on August 1st.
Yoo Li-an, Arirang News.