Court agrees Samsung copied Apple, but reduces damage award

Afederal appeals court has agreed that Samsung illegally copied some of the patented features in Apple's iPhone. But the court sided with Samsung on one point in a long-running dispute, which means the South Korean company may end up paying less than the $930 million US in damages originally awarded in the case.

The appellate court upheld most of the conclusions reached by a federal jury in California, after a closely watched trial in 2012. Apple had complained that Samsung smartphones copied the iPhone and infringed on Apple's technology patents.

But the appeals court, based in Washington, D.C., said Monday that Apple can't claim damages for copying the overall appearance of the iPhone. That could reduce the damage award by about $382 million US, according to Samsung's court filings.