An International Trade Commission judge ruled that Samsung Electronics infringed a part of an Apple patent but also cleared the S. Korean company of a second patent infringement. In a preliminary decision, the Judge said that Samsung infringed part of an Apple patent by including a text-selection feature in its smartphones and tablets.

However, the Judge also said that Samsung did not infringe portions of a second Apple patent that allows a device to detect if a microphone or other device is plugged into its microphone jack.

The commission will decide if they will uphold it or overturn the judge's decision. A final decision is expected in August.

If it is upheld, the ITC can order any infringing device to be barred from importation into the United States.

Apple had filed a complaint in mid-2011, targetting Samsung's Galaxy, Transform and Nexus devices, among others.

The case at the International Trade Commission is No. 337-796.