The ruling is one of the most significant in a global tussle between the two firms over mobile patents and intellectual property. In recent weeks, a court in South Korea ruled that both technology firms had copied each other, while a British court threw out claims by the US company that Samsung had infringed its copyright. The year-long US case has involved some of the biggest damages claims, and may affect the way patent licences are handled in the future. Samsung and Apple account for more than half of global smartphone and tablet computer sales. Commentators say that the South Korean firm's skill at innovating quickly means non-patent infringing devices could be on the market soon after any US ban, cementing its leadership in the global smartphone market. Samsung has already brought out a new generation of products that should avoid the patent issues.