On Tuesday, the White House made it official. The Obama Administration will not intervene to help Samsung avoid a product ban born of the company’s purported violation of patents belonging to leading tech rival Apple.
Most industry watchers and analysts, however, did not expect the White House to get involved.
“After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow” the import ban to proceed, Obama’s designee, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, said in a statement released this morning.
Newer devices produced by Samsung are not subjected to the product ban. Only older models were found to have been in violation of Apple patents.
Samsung, of course, is not pleased with the White House’s decision or the ruling that led to the ban in the first place.
“It will serve only to reduce competition and limit choice for the American consumer,” said Adam Yates, a spokesperson for Samsung.
