The next twist in the Apple vs Samsung battle

US ITC rules that Apple infringed on Samsung patent rights.

The Samsung vs. Apple battle took another twist yesterday when the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple had infringed on Samsung patent rights.

This could mean a ban on the sale of certain Apple products in the US. Fortunately for Apple this ban would only relate to older models, most notably the iPhone 4 and the Ipad 2.

“We believe the ITC’s final determination has confirmed Apple’s history of free-riding on Samsung’s technological innovations”, a Samsung statement said.

Apple has already announced that they will appeal the ITC ruling. The ITC’s ban is also subject to review by the US President. The president can overturn it on public policy grounds, though this is considered unlikely. Apple can continue selling the devices during this review period which lasts up to 60 days.

The worldwide smart phone market is believed to be worth over $290bn. Although Apple dominated the market in 2012, Samsung outsold Apple by 2 to 1 in the first 3 months of 2013. This shows that a shift may be occurring.

Samsung of course uses the Google Android system which is becoming more popular all the time. According to research firm Gartner, Android accounted for 66 per cent of global smart phone users in 2012, compared to 4 per cent in 2009, whilst Apple’s iOS operating system accounted for 19 per cent of the market in 2012, compared to 14 per cent in 2009.

Apple’s iOS system is of course only available from Apple products whereas Android is used by multiple brands including Samsung, Sony and HTC. Android can also be uploaded onto other devices including: laptops, netbooks, smartbooks, smart TVs, smart watches and cameras.

Notably, major tablet providers such as Google Nexus and Amazon also use Android. According to research form IDC, Apple accounted for 40 per cent of worldwide tablet sales in the first quarter of 2013, compared to 58 per cent in the first quarter of 2012. Android, on the other hand, had increased its market share from 39 per cent to 57 per cent over this same period.