A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday night upheld a lower court's sales ban of some older Samsung Galaxy phones, reports Re/code. It's yet another chapter of Apple and Samsung's worldwide patent battle.
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The order applies specifically to the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Ace, but could possibly be extended to other Samsung devices found to similarly infringe on a European Apple patent.
Initially, when Apple filed an infringement claim against Samsung and requested the ban in 2011, the company had requested a ban on all Samsung devices. Apple did not see its request fulfilled, however, and only saw the Galaxy S, Galaxy SII and Galaxy Ace banned.
Last week Apple and Google/Motorola Mobility agreed to a settlement and will dismiss patent litigations between the two companies. As part of the agreement they will also work together "in some areas of patent reform". Following that news, it was reported that Samsung and Apple were in early negotiations to settle their patent disputes out of court as well, although some key royalty payment terms are under negotiation.
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In 2011, a Dutch judge found that Samsung had infringed a minor Apple visual effects patent, so Samsung changed their method right away to stop infringement.
Normally, that should be the end of things.
However, even though Apple had won, and there were no longer any products being sold that infringed, Apple pressed for a sales ban on the original versions, anyway. This ban had no other purpose except to set a precedent.
(Apple tried multiple times to set a similar precedent in the California trial, but was unable to get such a ban.)