Apple wins another patent ruling against Samsung Galaxy smartphones

A Dutch court has ruled that some older versions of Samsung's Galaxy smartphones have violated Apple patents.

The Netherlands ruling effects Galaxy phones running Android versions 2.2.1 to 2.3.7 - those running Android 3.0 and higher won't be affected.

According to the court the devices violated an Apple-patented method for scrolling through smartphone-based photo galleries.

For Samsung and Apple, the ruling solidifies a preliminary injunction from last year. The ruling is an injunction which requires Samsung to pay €100,000 for each day the infringing products remain on sale in the Netherlands.

According to patent expert Florian Mueller, the ban won't completely shut out Samsung in the Netherlands. Mueller said in a blog post that the Korean electronics firm has already created a workaround for the infringement.

"Samsung has already done all the work necessary to work around this injunction. It made that effort last year after the preliminary injunction that today was converted into a permanent one," Mueller said on his Foss Patents blog.

"Instead of a bounce-back in the photo gallery, there's a "blue flash", which the court recognises to be a valid workaround. Also, there won't be any impact on product sales."

This is the second victory for Apple in the Dutch courts. The iPhone maker won a case against Samsung last March.

According to the court, Samsung had to pay Apple for the right to use the firm's patented 3G technology in its smartphones.

Apple and Samsung were unavailable for comment at the time of writing.