Samsung drops Apple lawsuits

Samsung Electronics yesterday said it would drop lawsuits aimed at banning the sale of Apple products in Europe just a day after scoring a victory in a battle in the US with the maker of iPhones.

Samsung and Apple, the world’s top two smartphone makers, have been locked in patent disputes in at least 10 countries over the last 18 months since Apple sued Samsung, saying the Korean firm copied its best-selling iPhone and iPad.

Samsung said it was dropping an attempt to stop the sale of some Apple products in Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, though it did not say it would halt its court battle for compensation.