Samsung avoid German judgment over Android system

Samsung does not have to pay damages for using a technology to measure power consumption in its mobile devices. A lawsuit filed by US licensing firm K.Mizra was dismissed by the Düsseldorf Regional Court in early August. The technology is also relevant for other manufacturers with Android systems.

US-based licensing firm K.Mizra has failed with a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics over a technology to predict and determine power consumption in the batteries of mobile devices. Düsseldorf Regional Court rejected a claim for infringement of K.Mizra’s patent EP 2 174 201 B1 (case ID: 4c O 27/22).

The patent protects a method and system for predicting the power consumption of a mobile terminal. Samsung is currently the largest manufacturer of mobile devices featuring the Android system. Thus, the outcome of the case is also important for other manufacturers using Android.

No injunction, only damages

K.Mizra had only demanded damages from Samsung, although JUVE Patent is unaware of the exact amount. In view of the 52 million Samsung mobile phones sold worldwide, however, the sum is likely to be substantial. Even if the lawsuit only concerns mobile phones sold in Germany, a global licence for K.Mizra’s property rights is likely to be a background issue.

The NPE has now filed an appeal against the ruling with Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court. A parallel nullity action is pending at the German Federal Patent Court, which has scheduled a hearing for May 2025.