One small step for Samsung —

Japan court: Samsung did not infringe Apple’s media sync patent

Samsung still faces possible injunctions in US after $1 billion verdict.

One week after a US court ordered Samsung to pay $1 billion to Apple for patent infringement, a court in Japan ruled on Friday that Samsung did not steal Apple technology.

It was a much less significant case than the blockbuster patent trial in the US. Apple sought just $1.3 million from Samsung in a lawsuit filed in Tokyo last year. The suit alleged that Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets infringed "an Apple patent on technology that synchronizes music and videos between gadgets and servers," according to the New York Times. Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji ruled that Samsung did not infringe the patent and ordered Apple to pay Samsung's legal costs.

But it's only a small win for Samsung. The Apple and Samsung legal teams are battling it out over patents in 10 countries worldwide, including in South Korea where Samsung recently got another favorable verdict. Even in Japan, this isn't the only lawsuit. Apple's other patent suits against Samsung in Japan include one alleging infringement of Apple's "bounce back" technology, and that Apple is asking for an injunction preventing sales of some Galaxy smartphones in Japan. Samsung has countersued Apple in Japan, claiming the iPhone and iPad infringe its patents.

The most pressing question for the companies still is what happens next in the US lawsuit. After Apple won a verdict that Samsung infringed its patents, Apple asked for injunctions against eight Samsung devices that it wants off the shelves in the US. Although the listed devices are older ones that are no longer widely available, a favorable ruling could give Apple more ammo to go after newer devices.

Samsung is reportedly taking steps to continue selling the devices even if injunctions are enforced. "Samsung officials have already begun to talk to wireless carriers about removing or modifying infringing features to keep products on the market if the injunctions are granted," the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Channel Ars Technica