US: Part of Apple’s verdict reversed

A US appeals court yesterday reversed part of the $930 million (R11 billion) verdict that Apple won in 2012 against Samsung Electronics, saying the iPhone maker’s trademark-related appearance could not be protected. In a highly anticipated ruling stemming from the global smartphone wars, the US court of appeals in Washington DC, upheld the patent infringement violations found by a federal jury in a court in San Jose, California, as well as the damages awarded for those violations. Out of the $930m judgment against Samsung, the appeals court ordered the court in San Jose to reconsider the $382m portion awarded for trade dress dilution. Trade dress is a legal term for a trademark on the way a product is packaged or presented. – Reuters