Apple won a court ruling that may force Samsung Electronics to stop using some features in its smartphones and tablets. A US appeals court said Apple was entitled to a narrow order that prevents Samsung from using Apple’s slide-to-unlock, autocorrect and quicklinks features, Bloomberg reports. Samsung said it would ask that the issue be considered by all active judges of the Federal Circuit, since it was a split decision by the US Court of Appeals in Washington. The court handles all patent appeals. The ruling applies to older models at Samsung including the Galaxy S2 and Note 2, so it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the company’s business.
The latest decision follows a win by Apple in May 2014 against Samsung, which was found to have infringed Apple's patents for the slide-to-unlock, autocorrect and quicklinks features. At that time, the trial judge declined to force Samsung to remove the features from its mobile phones, saying monetary damages would be adequate. Apple argued that, if it weren’t able to control use of its inventions, it may lose market share and its reputation as an innovator. Samsung is appealing the underlying infringement verdict; that case is pending before the Federal Circuit.
