Apple Inc was handed a mixed ruling by a U.S. appeals court in the latest twist in a blockbuster intellectual property battle with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., as a prior patent infringement verdict was upheld but a trademark finding that the iPhone's appearance could be protected was thrown out.
That means up to 40 percent of a $930 million verdict that had been won by Apple must be reconsidered.
In the highly anticipated ruling stemming from the global smartphone wars, the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. upheld patent infringement violations including one that protects the shape and color of its iPhone as well as the damages awarded for those violations.