Judge Lucy Koh today said Apple failed to prove that the South Korean company's patent infringement caused irreparable harm to Apple sales.
Apple accused Samsung of ripping off designs for its iPhone and iPad. A jury in 2012 found that close to two dozen of Samsung's products used technology controlled by Apple.
Apple's allegations involved touchscreen features such as tapping and swiping.
Koh said she was not convinced those features drive consumer demand for Samsung products.