Apple appeals Japan patent suit loss to Samsung

In late August, a District Court in Tokyo ruled that Samsung’s mobile devices do not violate Apple’s patents. Not only did Apple lose the lawsuit, but it was also ordered to pay all attorney fees and court-related costs.

Obviously, the decision didn’t sit well with the Cupertino company, and they’re not giving up without a fight. Reports surfaced late last night that it has filed an appeal with Japan’s Intellectual Property High Court…

Bloomberg reports:

“Apple appealed an Aug. 31 ruling by Tokyo District Court that said Samsung didn’t violate Apple’s invention of technology for synchronizing music and video data with servers, a court spokesman Yutaka Sakai said by phone today. Cupertino, California-based Apple was ordered by Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji at the time to pay costs of the lawsuit.”

It’s worth noting that this August 31 loss came just a week after Apple’s major win against Samsung here in the US. A California jury found a number of Samsung’s products guilty of infringement on Apple’s patents and awarded the company more than a billion dollars in damages. Samsung, of course, is looking to appeal.

This particular lawsuit, which Apple filed late last year, covered a patent regarding media syncing technology. And interestingly enough, Apple was only asking for $1.3 million dollars in damages from Samsung.

The two companies currently lead the global smartphone market, and account for nearly 90% of its profits. They also happen to be supply chain partners, but recent reports say that these ongoing lawsuits is starting to decay that relationship.