Well, the empire struck back.

Apple and Samsung continued their long-fought legal dispute on Tuesday, as a judge from the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) found Apple guilty infringing on a Samsung patent for encoding mobile communications.

The ruling affects certain older models of the iPhone (specifically the 3GS and the original iPhone 4), and the iPad (the first and second versions of the tablet computer) which, if Samsung gets its way, could be banned from being sold within the United States. The ban, however, only applies to products currently compatible with the AT&T network.

The blow is a harsh one for Apple, though they are certainly not the first to suffer a grave injury in this battle: just last summer, the California-based company sued their rivals at Samsung for an outrageous $1 billion, claiming that Samsung had infringed upon a number of their patents relating to phone design and functionality. Many contended that the court decision was a poor one, stifling competition within the smartphone market, and possibly limiting quality product options or boosting consumer prices along the way.

Undoubtedly, Samsung got a taste for revenge from that outing, and today’s ITC decision will likely mean that the two companies continue to wage war until all possible patent claims and infringement accusations are exhausted.

But does this court decision mark a turning of the tide for Samsung, and could some of Apple’s flagship products be falling off American shelves in coming weeks? Not likely. Apple will survey all other options before cooperating with the ban, including an appeal with a higher court, or even a veto from the President himself. The company assured its customers and stockholders that neither it, nor its products, would be going down without a fight.

“We are disappointed that the commission has overturned an earlier ruling and we plan to appeal,” said Kristin Huguet, a spokesperson for Apple. “Today’s decision has no impact on the availability of Apple products in the United States.”

Regardless of smartphone allegiance, it seems that consumers could soon grow tired of the constant bickering between the two biggest figures on the market. Undoubtedly, developers at either company will do their best to avoid any copycat maneuvers in the future–either intentional or accidental–but it’s worth speculating that Apple and Samsung could damage the public appeal of both their brands and their devices if they refuse to lay down their arms. And with the steady emergence of other smartphone options–just recently, the HTC One and the Nokia Lumia have created a significant level of buzz–other companies are clearly ready to benefit from the fallout.