Motorola and Samsung have secured a patent victory against Apple, with a German court finding that the two firms did not infringe upon the Cupertino-based firm's multi-touch patent.

As noted by Reuters, the technology is used on a variety of Android-based devices from Samsung and Motorola, which is now owned by Google.

In a statement, a spokeswoman said: "We are pleased with today's favourable outcome for Motorola Mobility."

"We welcome today's ruling, which affirms our position that our products do not infringe Apple's intellectual property," a Samsung spokesman added. "For decades, we have heavily invested in pioneering the development of technological and design innovations in the mobile industry, which have been constantly reflected in our products. We will continue to further develop and introduce products that enhance the lives of German consumers."

The ruling comes shortly after a German court found that Motorola infringed upon Microsoft patents, and granted the Redmond-based firm an injunction against the offending products.

Samsung and Motorola have been battling Apple over patents for more than a year. Recently, Samsung lost big in California when a jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion (£648m) in patent-related damages. Samsung is appealing.

Last week, meanwhile, Judge Peter Guntz in Munich found that Motorola infringed on Apple's "overscroll bounce" patent.

The decision comes as Apple continues roll out of the iPhone 5, which was launched in the UK last Friday. 

Apple's latest smartphone has impressed some reviewers, but underwhelmed other onlookers. For more on the new iToy, check out Sascha Segan's iPhone 5 review.

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