Samsung’s patent use focus of EU complaint

BRUSSELS — Samsung Electronics faces a European Union antitrust complaint over its use of standard-essential patents in legal disputes with Apple, the EU’s competition commissioner said.

“We will adopt the statement of objections very soon,” said Joaquin Almunia, the bloc’s antitrust chief. The EU is looking into whether Samsung violated agreements to license key patents to other mobile-phone manufacturers on fair terms.

Samsung and Apple, the world’s two biggest smartphone makers, have traded victories in their patent disputes fought over four continents since Apple accused Asia’s biggest electronics maker of “slavishly copying” its devices. The companies, competing for dominance of the global smartphone market estimated by Bloomberg Industries at $219 billion last year, are fighting patent battles even as Apple remains Samsung’s biggest customer. WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent over the summer as exports increased, consumers spent more and state and local governments added to growth for the first