Samsung wins Apple patent case in Japan

After Samsung's landmark £655m loss against Apple in a Californian court last week, the South Korean technology giant scored a victory over its US rival in a similar patent case in Tokyo.

The case related to technology for synchronising data between mobile players and computers.

"We welcome the court's decision, which confirmed our long-held position that our products do not infringe Apple's intellectual property," said Samsung in a statement following the verdict.

"We will continue to offer highly innovative products to consumers, and continue our contributions toward the mobile industry's development," it continued.

The session at Tokyo District Court ended after only a few minutes, with Judge Tamotsu Shoji ruling that Samsung's products did not infringe on Apple patents before dismissing the lawsuit, which had been filed by Apple last August.

"The plaintiff's demands will all be dismissed," said Shoji, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, before adding that the court will give Apple 30 days to appeal the ruling.

Apple has yet to lodge an appeal.

Today's ruling is only the first of several more cases between Apple and Samsung that are due to take place in Japan.

Meanwhile, Samsung is similarly expected to be building an energetic appeal against last week's verdict in favour of Apple, which apart from the huge cost to the South Korean company, also sees it at risk of having eight smartphone devices banned from US soil.

Samsung enjoys a close relationship with several of Japan's largest mobile phone carriers, including the country's largest provider, NTT DoCoMo.

Samsung sold over 50 million smartphones worldwide in Q2 2012.