Samsung Patent Infringement Case Update: Despite Judge's Ruling, Nvidia Vows To Seek Ban On Importing Samsung Phones To US

Tech company Nvidia has vowed to seek a ban on importing into the United States Samsung phones that it says infringe on two of its patents by using graphics chip technology developed by Nvidia. A judge for the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled Friday Samsung had not infringed on two of Nvidia's patents but had infringed on a third, invalid patent in an escalating battle over intellectual property rights among tech companies.

"We believe our patents are valid and have been infringed," Nvidia said in a blog post Friday. "We now intend to ask the full commission ... to review this initial determination and to confirm the previous judgment of the U.S. Patent Office -- that the third patent is valid," it added.

The full International Trade Commission has six commissioners. If it agrees with Nvidia, it could issue an order to ban Samsung from importing into the U.S. such products as Galaxy smartphones and tablets, which Nvidia has alleged violate its patents, Reuters reported.

Nvidia, which is based in Santa Clara, California, filed a lawsuit in September 2014 with the International Trade Commission accusing Samsung and another company, U.S.-based Qualcomm, of using patented GPU, or graphics processor unit, technology "without proper compensation," the company said. It also filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Delaware.

Nvidia said it is trying to protect its intellectual property, and the Friday ruling was "one more step in a long legal process." It said it invented the chip in 1999, but in November 2014 Samsung countersued, claiming Nvidia had in fact infringed on Samsung's patents. That suit asked the International Trade Commission to bar products, ranging from tablets to graphics cards and computer boards, that used Nvidia chips from entering the U.S.

"We will take all appropriate measures to defend our intellectual property rights," Samsung said in a statement when it sued.