Apple could block Samsung in patent row, says US court

Apple could block Samsung's products in the US over patent infringement, if it is able to prove that the features drove sales of the South Korean manufacturer's smartphones.

Apple has won a US appeals court ruling related to patents of some features like a multitouch technology, that Apple says makes its iPhone unique.

According to stuff.co.nz, the ruling will let Apple pursue the block on some of the products in the US manufactured by rival Samsung.

However, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has said that Apple cannot block Samsung products for infringing patented designs, and the tech giant would be required to prove that each feature drove sales of Samsung smartphones.

Apple is trying to force Samsung to change or stop selling some smartphones and tablet computers, saying that the South Korean company has chosen to slavishly copy Apple's innovative technology.

The two tech companies have been embroiled in a legal battle since 2011, spanning four continents, over multiple patent infringement claims.