The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled on Friday in favor of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in a patent infringement case in which Nvidia claimed that the South Korean multinational had used its graphics chip technology without permission.
Judge Thomas Pender ruled that the company did not infringe upon two of Nvidia’s patents, but it did infringe upon a third, however, he ruled that third patent invalid because it was not a new invention in comparison with previously known patents, Reuters reports.
While the ruling has not yet been finalized, as it must still be reviewed by the full commission tasked with the final decision in the matter, Nvidia spokesman Robbert Sherbin was quoted by Reuters as having said that Nvidia remains “confident” in their case.
We remain confident in our case
Despite the judge’s ruling, the International Business Times reports that Nvidia will continue to seek a ban on importing Samsung phones — those that the company believes to be using their graphic chips technology without their permission — into the United States.
Nvidia’s complaint against Samsung and Qualcomm was filed with the ITC back in September of last year.
The complaint alleges that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors and Samsung’s Exynos processors infringe upon its patents.
The import ban sought by Nvidia includes Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
While Nvidia’s legal pursuit against both companies was accompanied by simultaneously filed lawsuits, which were filed in federal court in Delaware, Samsung has not backed down. Instead, the South Korean company has gone on the offense, filing countersuit against California-based Nvidia.
Samsung’s countersuit, which was filed in federal court in Virginia, also claims patent infringement.
But Nvidia alone would not suffice, as Samsung also sued one of the company’s customers.
In response to the recent ITC ruling, Nvidia posted a statement on its blog on Friday in which the company stated that they “now intend to ask the full commission (which is made up of six commissioners) to review this initial determination and to confirm the previous judgment of the U.S. Patent Office — that the third patent is valid.
We now intend to ask the full commission (which is made up of six commissioners) to review this initial determination and to confirm the previous judgment of the U.S. Patent Office — that the third patent is valid. If they agree, the ITC would issue an order that would preclude Samsung from importing into the U.S. infringing Samsung mobile devices and smart TVs. (…) We are continuing this case by proceeding to the next step in the process because we believe our patents are valid and have been infringed.
Earlier this year, Samsung was slapped with a bloatware lawsuit by the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission over allegations of smartphones sold pre-installed with apps that are not only difficult or impossible to remove, but annoying for consumers.
