iPhone4 imports banned after US agency ruling

A US trade agency has banned imports of Apple's iPhone 4 and a variant of the iPad 2 after finding the devices violate a patent held by South Korean rival Samsung Electronics.

It is the latest shot in a global legal battle between the two smartphone makers. Because the devices are assembled in China, the import ban would end Apple's ability to sell them in the US.

But President Barack Obama has 60 days to invalidate the US International Trade Commission's order. He is against import bans on the basis of the type of patent at issue in the case. The White House has issued a recommendation to Congress that it limit the ITC's ability to impose import bans in such cases.

Apple said it was "disappointed" with the ruling and would appeal.

Samsung and Apple have been fighting over their smartphones, with Apple arguing that Samsung and its Android phones copy vital features of the iPhone. Samsung is fighting back with its own claims, and Tuesday's ruling was the Korean maker's first patent win over Apple.

Apple was found to infringe a patent for a widely used way that phones transmit data. It argued Samsung was obliged to license it on fair terms because it was part of an industry standard, but instead, the firm demanded an unreasonable royalty.

Last year, a federal court ruled that Samsung owed Apple US$1 billion in damages for infringing non-essential Apple patents. But the judge refused to impose an import ban on Samsung phones and later struck US$450 million from the verdict, saying the jurors miscalculated. The case is set for a rematch in an appeals court.