Samsung Wins Patent Dispute In The Netherlands

It’s looking more and more like Apple only has friends in the US. After Samsung won a patent dispute in Germany, a court in the Netherlands has also found that Samsung didn’t infringe any of the Cupertino giant’s patents.

A ruling from the Hague court on Wednesday ruled that Samsung did not infringe upon Apple’s patent for multi-touch functions. The patent in question defined how a user can use two fingers at once to control the functions of a touch screen. It’s most widely used in the pinch-to-zoom functionality that Apple claims to have patented.

Samsung’s latest win continues the company’s string of wins across Europe where various courts have ruled in the South Korean company’s favor. Perhaps the most important, or at least hilarious, ruling so far was one made in the UK courts. The judge ruled that Apple must publish a notice on its Web site and in local newspapers saying that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad’s design.

Things are looking up for Samsung these days. The sales ban on the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Nexus have both been lifted. The Galaxy S III is still doing well, and the company’s Galaxy Note II smartphone is launching in the US today. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, the verdict is still out on Apple’s request to have several Samsung products banned from sale in the US. The company could very well lose out on potential sales if the sales ban is enacted. For now, however, Samsung can at least revel in the fact that it’s won another patent case.