Appeals Court Affirms Samsung Infringed on Apple’s iPhone Patents

WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court handed a partial victory to Apple Inc., upholding court findings smartphone rival Samsung Electronics Co. infringed the iPhone maker’s intellectual property but setting aside part of a $930 million jury award.

Apple prevailed on the most central issue, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirming Monday that a range of Samsung’s devices infringed several of Apple’s patented inventions for the iPhone.

The court, a specialized body that handles patent appeals, also rejected Samsung’s arguments that a trial judge wrongly permitted jurors to award damages based on Samsung’s entire profits from its infringing smartphones.

The appeals court, however, ruled against Apple’s “trade dress” claims that Samsung copied the iPhone to trade on the public recognition associated with the distinctive look and design of Apple’s device.