Apple Drops Patent Claims Against Samsung’s Galaxy S III Mini

According to a report by Reuters, Apple has removed the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini from the list of of recently added devices it had patent claims against:

Apple Inc has agreed to withdraw patent claims against a new Samsung phone with a high-end display after Samsung said it was not offering to sell the product in the crucial U.S. market.

Apple disclosed the agreement in a filing on Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. Representatives for both Apple and Samsung declined to comment.

In late November, Apple added six more Samsung products including the 4-inch Galaxy S III Mini to a list of other devices to the ongoing patent litigation between both companies, part of a separate trial from the earlier $1.05 billion verdict Apple won this year against Samsung. The latter noted in court the S III Mini should be removed because it wasn’t available for sale in the U.S. market.

In response, Samsung said the Galaxy S III Mini was not available for sale in the United States in any way and should not be included in the case. Apple agreed to remove the device from the list, only if Samsung keeps to its word to not offer the phone in the US at a later date.

Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung earlier this year but has failed to secure a permanent sales ban against several, mostly older Samsung models. The patents Apple is asserting against the Galaxy S III Mini are separate from those that went to trial.