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Netherlands court gives Apple win over Samsung in scrolling patent case

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A court in the Netherlands has ruled in favor of Apple in their suit against Samsung for infringement on patent EP2.059.868. The patent in question pertains to a method of scrolling implemented in the gallery application of Samsung devices running one of several Android 2.0 branches covering the Froyo and Gingerbread releases.

Samsung now has eight weeks to provide updates to their handsets to fix the infringing software. If they fail to do so, the Korean smartphone maker faces fines of 100,000 euros per day and potential sales bans. Samsung issued a statement saying they were “disappointed” in the decision and once again chiding Apple for hampering “consumer choice and innovation.”

In the end, the ruling could cost Samsung a pretty penny, especially considering the number of Android devices they will need to provide updates to, but it won’t make as big an impact on the company’s wallet as another high-profile case. The next phase of the US patent trial in which Samsung has already been slapped with a $1 billion fine kicks off next week.

[via SamMobile]

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37 Comments

  1. remind me where not to go for vacation

    1. I’m sure they are very sad that you won’t visit them, or maybe very happy.

      1. I will visit but will not spend a penny there….. Like in Portuguese when I was there ;-)

        1. You visited a language? Amay-zing!!

          1. Do you know Portugal and swype autocorrection, genius? ;-)

          2. English is obviously not your first language.

          3. ROFL you, 3 internets for you sir for making my day

    2. The Netherlands is not a 3rd world country.
      And you should not come for vaction, it’s way to cold.
      Unless you want to buy Weed,
      in that case: come quickly, they want to change the weed-laws.

      1. Weed is now legal to posses/purchase in Colorado, Oregon and Washington state… just sayin’ (law as passed in Nov 2012)

      2. i already get good weed here in cali, took out 3rd world ^_^

  2. really? scroll patent smh.

    1. Ahhh, I didn’t realize Judge Lucy Koh also practiced law in the Netherlands.

  3. Apple and the Netherlands suck.

    1. I’m actually surprised this didn’t get thrown out the moment they filed for the patent.
      as far as I know this is exactly the kind of software patent that isn’t allowed according to European patent laws.

      1. Then maybe Samsung can find a way to appeal the decision or invalidate the patent.

  4. Not sure how someone like Apple can patent scrolling… It existed on touch devices well before the iPhone came out…

    1. They could if Apple’s implementation is different from that of those that existed before the iPhone came out…

  5. Maybe it’s the use of the index finger to scroll. Samsung should patent their own scrolling method just for Apple using the middle finger.

    1. Apple has the scrolling middle finger patented. It’s how they give their customers a complimentary prostate exam in the stores after their purchase.

      1. i rofl’d irl

  6. People are still running 2.0 + ???

  7. I give up… Apple will probably patent use of the word “the” in all mobile device panels

  8. Everyone who knows about IT something hates Apple….. completely rotten company

  9. I finally found the patent in question. Not only is the general concept of this being innovative a complete farce, the award in court is too. The patent clearly includes details specific to the iOS design and while certain parts of what Android/Samsung does can resemble what is patented it is unique and different.

    http://tweakimg.net/files/upload/EP2059868B1.pdf

    1. Probably why the patent was thrown out by the USPTO

      1. So you mean to say the USPTO actually did something right? QUICK ALERT THE PRESSES!!! no sarcasm just go go go alert them nooooooooooooow!

  10. apple paid netherland court hefty amount ;)

    1. Yeah Apple paid them in hash brownies….

  11. Damn Apple can’t go bankrupt fast enough

    1. Don’t hold your breath

  12. If this was an American court, people would say its because they’re biased…I wonder what the reasoning would be behind this one…

    1. The Free man has spoken! give him the crowbar to theses android crabheads!
      dude like seriously stop trolling in here and get back to your apple store ^_^

      1. lol…don’t worry, I don’t expect support from an android fanboy site…I was just wondering what the argument would be now since even american geeks would gladly criticise their legal system than see that a Korean cell phone maker copied an American company…

        1. Okey…Oh the apple geniuses miss you and ask you to get them donuts on your way back to the iWorld :)

          1. Haha, they do miss me, don’t they…good thing I’m using google maps so I don’t miss my way back to iWorld…

  13. Were they high when they passed that verdict? Maybe the Apple lawyers gave them some of their crack.

  14. Maybe the judges have smoked themselves stupid?

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