Ahead of iOS Device Ban, ITC Delays Samsung Patent Decision

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has delayed until Aug. 9 a decision about whether Samsung has infringed on Apple patents.

The ITC was scheduled to hand down a final ruling yesterday on a case in which Cupertino accused Samsung of patent infringement with its mobile devices, but that will now take place next week. The ITC did not provide a reason for the delay.

The move comes several days before a ban on iOS devices is scheduled to go into effect. In June, the ITC banned the sale of the AT&T versions of the iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4, and the AT&T 3G versions of the iPad and iPad 2 for infringing on Samsung patents. Newer versions of Apple iPad and iPhone were not affected.

Apple's products have remained on store shelves during a 60-day review period, but that review period ends Aug. 4. President Obama has the option to veto the ITC's decision, but no announcements have been made. On June 30, four senators penned a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, urging him to consider whether the decision is truly in the public interest.

As Bloomberg noted, Aug. 9 will be a busy day for Samsung and Apple, as the two sides are also scheduled to appear before an appeals court for arguments in a separate patent case.

All of this comes almost a year after Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict in one of its many patent cases against Samsung, though some aspects of that case have been struck down and ordered to a new trial. The two companies are also fighting a separate, but similar, case in the same court, which is scheduled to go to trial next year, so the patent fights between these two are far from over.

The original case dates back to April 2011.