iPhone X, 8 and four iPads face ‘likely’ ban in South Korea

The iPhone X, iPhone 8/Plus and four different iPad models are facing a potential import ban in South Korea over a patent infringement claim.

Korean authorities say that no decision has yet been made, but that the ruling is “likely” to go against Apple, 9to5mac.com reports.

KAIST, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, claims to hold a patent over a form of transistor technology used in Apple’s A-series chips. The technology, known as FinFET, is a form of 3D transistor used in many modern processors.

Business Korea reports that the Korean government has indicated the expected outcome of the investigation.

The targets include iPhone 8, iPhone 8+, iPhone X, iPad 9.7, and 9.7-, 10.5-, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The dispute is not over whether Apple’s chips use FinFET technology, but rather whether or not the patent is valid. The potential good news for Apple is that the validity of the patent is also being challenged by Samsung – which uses the same tech in its chips.

“We cannot but pay attention to the litigation in the US and South Korea involving Samsung Electronics although our current investigation is targeting Apple,” the ministry explained, adding, “This is because Samsung Electronics submitted evidence to refute the novelty of the patent, which is required for the patent to be regarded as being valid.”