Samsung ban in the US overturned by Court of Appeals

It reasoned that the district court in California, which had issued the ban in June, had "abused its discretion in entering an injunction".

Earlier this month, a sales ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablet computer in the US was also lifted.

The two tech giants have been involved in a legal battle over patent infringement claims. This ruling will come as a blow to Apple, who declined to comment.

Samsung welcomed the decision, saying it "confirms that the role of patent law is to protect innovation and not to unreasonably stifle competition and restrict consumer choice".

"We will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products," the South Korean manufacturer said.

The smartphone segment is one of the fastest growing sectors for phone manufacturers and Apple and Samsung are among the biggest players in the arena.

Earlier this year, a Californian court awarded Apple $1.05bn (£652m) in damages, after ruling several of its software and design technologies had been infringed by Samsung.

Samsung has since challenged that verdict and called for a retrial.