Court agrees Samsung copied Apple, but tosses some damages

A federal appeals court has upheld a jury's finding that Samsung illegally copied some patented features in Apple's iPhone, but it sided with Samsung on one point that could reduce the $930 million in damages the South Korean company had been ordered to pay.

In its decision Monday, the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of the findings made by a California federal jury in 2012. The jury concluded that several models of Samsung smartphones and tablets had illegally copied the iPhone and infringed on some of Apple's patents for technology and design. However, the Washington, D.C.-based appeals court said Apple wasn't entitled to damages for its claims that Samsung had copied the iPhone's "trade dress" or overall appearance.

Monday's ruling orders a trial court in San Jose, California, to reconsider about $382 million in damages that jurors previously awarded for the "trade dress" claims.

The same case has already seen one retrial: After a judge cut $450 million from an original damage award of more than $1 billion, a second jury restored the total to about $930 million.

"This is a victory for design and those who respect it," Apple said in a statement on Monday.

Samsung representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.