Judge Orders Samsung to Stop Selling Smartphones in US

Photo of author

By Jacob Maslow

It’s no secret that Apple and Samsung have been at war for several years over claims that Samsung infringed on Apple’s design patents.

With Google joining Facebook and the long list of other tech companies and CEO’s calling on the Supreme Court to weigh in on the debate, US District Judge Lucy Koh recently ordered Samsung to stop selling the Galaxy S3 and other older devices.

The problem? The phones are out of date and have largely disappeared from the market. Samsung has moved on with newer, more up-to-date models not included in the injunction, and so the move is likely to have little impact on the case overall.

While the move certainly does not settle the dispute and critics claim it is not enough, it is seen as a move in the right direction for the rights of patent holders. Koh earlier ruled that Samsung should not be banned from selling smartphones, but should compensate Apple monetarily.

What do you think? Should Samsung be banned from the US smartphone market as long as it infringes on Apple’s patents? Is this move enough, or does it symbolize a mere gesture that’s too little, too late?

 

Images Courtesy of DepositPhotos