According to a report by Reuters, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd infringed a key portion of an Apple Inc patent by including a text-selection feature in its smartphones and tablets, an International Trade Commission judge said in a preliminary decision.

The decision is appealable, but if Samsung is to lose the appeal in front of the full commission as well, Apple is entitled to requesting an US import ban for most smartphones and tablets in the Samsung Galaxy and Samsung Nexus lines.

The final decision is expected to arrive sometime in August and it is not known if Samsung can avoid the potential import ban via a software update that would change the way text selection is made.

We'll keep you posted on any updates.

Source: Reuters

International Trade Commission said in a final decision today that Apple infringed upon a patent owned by Samsung in making some iPhone and iPad models, the U.S.

The panel issued a limited exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order for AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. None of these are Apple's latest models, although the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 3G remain for sale on its website.

Apple responded in a statement: "We are disappointed that the Commission has overturned an earlier ruling and we plan to appeal. Today's decision has no impact on the availability of Apple products in the United States."

Source: reuters