ITC delays Samsung sales ban ruling until August 9

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Earlier in March, The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) found Galaxy maker Samsung guilty of violating four Apple patents, among them a text-selection feature in its smartphones and tablets. The trade body was supposed to hand down the decision today on a possible sales ban on the Samsung devices in violation of Apple’s patents.

The ruling has now been delayed until Friday, August 9 – the same day Apple and Samsung are due to present oral arguments pertaining to the landmark August 2012 Apple v. Samsung trial that found Samsung guilty of violating Apple’s patented iPhone technology…

Should the ITC side with Apple come August 9, Samsung could face an U.S. import ban on a handful of its mobile devices.

According to patent expert Florian Müeller, August 9 is an important date because on that day the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is “going to hold a hearing on Apple’s appeal of a district court’s denial of a permanent injunction against multiple Samsung products over half a dozen patents found infringed”.

Here’s ITC’s filing on the extension of its decision.

At the same time, ITC’s final ruling on August 9 will come after this weekend’s deadline for President Obama to veto an import ban Samsung won against older iPhones and iPads still sold by AT&T.

The ITC can’t fine firms over patent violation, but it has the power to ban infringing products from sale. The looming ban which involves the iPhone 3GS/4/4S and 3G iPads is scheduled to go into effect within 60 days, unless vetoed by the White House during a Presidential Review period.

While Apple is hoping the Obama administration will come to the rescue, in reality no U.S. president has vetoed an ITC decision since 1987.