A U.S. federal agency on Thursday postponed a final ruling on Apple's patent infringement complaint against Samsung until Aug. 9, apparently reflecting the sensitivity and complicity of the issue.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced that it has decided to extend its deadline to determine whether some smartphones and tablet PCs made by Samsung Electronics Co. infringe on Apple Inc's patents.

It gave no specific reason for the delay.

In a preliminary ruling in October, the ITC found Samsung had violated four valid Apple patents -- one design patent and three technical patents.

Samsung, South Korea's tech giant, is waging a bruising patent war against the Silicon Valley firm.

The ITC is an independent and quasi-judicial body that determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries and directs actions against unfair trade practices. (Yonhap News)