In what increasingly seems as a global game of legal ping pong, Samsung has lost a US trade case against Apple. Samsung has just won a case in a Dutch court in the Hague, but Apple seems to have some serious home court advantage.

Judge Thomas Pender of the US International Trade Commission said in a statement that Samsung infringed on four of Apple’s patents. Apparently these include patents for touch screen technology and front face of the iPhone, but the decision is preliminary and due to be reviewed by the full commission.

From what went down so far, Apple seems to be winning in home court, and has earned itself $1 billion this August. Samsung has just won a ruling in Netherlands, and, of course, the Patent Trolling Open continues.

Apple’s invincibility on the US soil has led some to question whether the cult of Apple is a wise thing to have in the long run. Samsung’s spokesperson said that the “initial determination could lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices for the American consumer”.

More here.