US agency makes initial ruling against Apple ’pinch-to-zoom’ patent

The US Patent and Trademark Office has rejected Apple’s ’pinch-to-zoom’ patent in a preliminary ruling that Samsung Electronics argues supports its request for a new trial in the patent war against its rival.

Apple scored a sweeping legal victory over its South Korean competitor in August when a US jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple US$1.05 billion in damages.

The ‘pinch-to-zoom’ patent was one of the patents contested at that trial. The jury ruled that Samsung had infringed six of seven Apple patents.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1109019/us-agency-makes-initial-ruling-against-apple-pinch-zoom-patent