Apple and Samsung Electronics do not have to make public the financial details submitted to a U.S. court during their patent litigation, the Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday. The Court in Washington reversed a lower court ruling that ordered the two companies to disclose portions of documents that contain profit and sales information.

"We recognize the importance of protecting the public's interest in judicial proceedings and of facilitating its understanding of those proceedings," the 3-judge appeals panel decided. "That interest, however, does not extend to mere curiosity about the parties' confidential information where that information is not central to a decision on the merits."

The two companies have been waging patent litigation across the globe since 2011. A jury awarded Apple over $1 billion, but U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh later slashed the award and ordered a retrial on some of the damages.

e The case in the Federal Circuit is Apple Inc vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al., 12-1600.