SAMSUNG ELECT LTD (SSNLF) has been cleared off any allegations against it by NVIDIA for the use of its graphic chip technology. According to an ITC ruling declared on Oct.9, the Korean manufacturer did not infringe upon NVIDIA’s graphic technology patents. In the ruling passed by ITC’s Administrative Law Judge Thomas B. Pender he said that, ” The Accused Products with Adreno, PowerVR, or Mali GPUs do not infringe claim 14 of U.S. Patent No. 7,209,140.”
He clearly rejected two of NVIDIA’s patent infringement claims. While he found Samsung did indeed infringe upon the third patent filed by NVIDIA, though the Judge ruled that the patent itself was invalid since it had not been a new invention at that time.
However, NVIDIA still remains confident as the company’s spokesperson said that the ruling is yet to be reviewed by the full commission, who’ll be making their final decision over the dispute in February.
NVIDIA had earlier filed a lawsuit against Samsung with the International Trade Commission back in late 2014, claiming that Samsung devices were using its patented technology without legal permission. Moreover, it endorsed that certain products from the Korean manufacturer should be banned in the US market, including the Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5.
The California-based company had also filed a case against Samsung in the U.S. District Court in Delaware over the same issue in last year.
At that time, it looked as if NVIDIA’s claims were apparently legit, as Justice Pender ruled in favor of its patent infringement claims against Samsung a few months ago. He presided over the Markman hearing and awarded NVIDIA 6 out of 7 definitions for their claims, which was a rather big victory. Though this recent ruling suggests, the tide could turn against NVIDIA. Although, it’s worth pointing out that the US ITC is yet to make a final judgment based on the judge’s ruling this past Friday.
Samsung has also been involved with legal tiffs with other tech giants as well including the likes of Apple and Microsoft in the past. Apple had accused Samsung of blatantly copying its iPhone design since its launch back in 2007. The two did announce that they have decided to end all their international patent lawsuits, though the Cupertino giant remains adamant that it will not ever drop its American lawsuit against the Korean giant.
