The battle for smartphone supremacy playing out via case-by-case squabbles over patent violations, spanning courtrooms and technology companies across the world, took another twist Friday with both Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE) being winners and losers.

A German court dismissed a patent infringement suit brought by Apple Inc. (AAPL) against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE) over slide-to-unlock technology, and also rejected a claim by Samsung that Apple infringed one of its third-generation, or 3G, wireless patents.

The court's slide-to-unlock ruling hinged on the manner in which the brush of a finger across a screen unlocks a device.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple's unblocking function has an on-screen start and end point and works when a finger sweeps in a roughly straight line.

However, Suwon, Korea-based Samsung's slide-to-unlock feature differs in that it permits "gestures of any path between start and target," presiding judge Andreas Voss told the courtroom.

Samsung said it welcomed Friday's ruling on slide-to-unlock but, in an emailed statement, expressed disappointment that the court rejected its patent claim against Apple.

It will review the written grounds of the judgment and expects to lodge an appeal with a more senior court in Karlsruhe. It has four further patent infringement cases pending against Apple at the Mannheim court.

An Apple spokesman said there's "nothing specific to say re today's news," adding that "it's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad," and that "we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

Legal disputes over patents in the smartphone industry have flared up in courtrooms around the world as telecommunications players fight for dominance of the blossoming market.

Sales of smartphones and tablets have rocketed in recent years, giving rise to a plethora of lawsuits involving Apple, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI), Samsung, HTC Corp. (2498.TW, HTCXF) and others.

Regulators such as the European Union are trying to crack down on companies they suspect of abusing their position by failing to licence patents under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms.

Earlier this year, the commission started a formal investigation into whether Samsung is using standard-essential patents to sue rivals.

- By Harriet Torry, Dow Jones Newswires; +49 69 29725 511; harriet.torry@dowjones.com

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