Samsung has today lost its High Court battle against Apple in the United Kingdom after a judge deemed that the patents the Korean company was using in its case should have never been granted.

Apple has now fended off 24 patent-infringement claims from Samsung, and Samsung’s bid to secure a 2.4% royalty on every 3G-equipped device the Cupertino company sells is looking increasingly unlikely.

Judge Christopher Floyd ruled that Apple’s products do not infringe Samsung’s patents that cover the ability to send and receive information over a 3G data network. Furthermore, Floyd found the uses existed in prior art, meaning Samsung’s patents are invalid.

“We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” Samsung said in a statement today. “Upon a thorough review of the judgment, we will decide whether to file an appeal. For decades, we have heavily invested in pioneering the development of technological innovations in the mobile industry, which have been constantly reflected in our products.”

Today’s ruling comes after Nokia stepped up to support Apple in its fight against Samsung by filing an amicus brief on behalf of the company in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Finnish firm asked the court to permit permanent injunctions on the sale of Samsung smartphones that were found guilty of infringing Apple’s patents.

Nokia said its interest is to advocate patent rights and foster innovation.

• ViaZDNet