Samsung files patent countersuits against Apple

April 21, 2011 8:45 PM
Dean Takahashi
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Samsung Electronics has filed patent countersuits against Apple in South Korea, Japan and Germany, responding to last week’s lawsuit from Apple about how Samsung’s smartphones and tablets copied Apple’s products.

Samsung said that Apple infringes five patents, but didn’t specify the technologies involved. The stakes are high and the litigation is just one among a number of companies jockeying to become the ultimate power in smartphones. Other lawsuits involve Apple against Nokia and HTC, Microsoft against Motorola, and Google against Oracle.

“Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business,” the statement said.

Apple filed a lawsuit last Friday alleging Samsung violated patents and trademarks of its iPhone and iPad. Tim Cook, chief operating officer at Apple, said during Apple’s earnings call that Samsung’s mobile division “crossed a line.” He said Apple is Samsung’s biggest customer and will continue to be so. But the companies discussed the matter for some time and Apple decided to take it to the courts, Cook said.

Apple’s iPhone has taken off in a big way, with more than 18.65 million units sold in the first quarter. It’s not clear how many of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab devices Samsung has sold. But Samsung is one of the leaders in the market for devices based on Google’s Android operating system. It’s no accident that Apple is going after Samsung in that respect.

  • http://profiles.google.com/sebastienexpress Sebastien Smith

    It's always strange how the market leader always gets sued and not the others.

  • http://twitter.com/alexdesoto Alex de Soto

    That side-by-side picture says it all.

  • http://twitter.com/chamberlainDLC David Chamberlain

    Yet Apple sued first… And beyond just Apple and Samsung the list of companies suing goes on and on.Intellectual property is important in the design arena. Rather than moving forward with what is best for a user experience each company has defined what they think is best and sue the pants off people that have similar feelings.

  • Leland

    Seriously, these days there is so much cross-pollination between tech companies patents are becoming less and less meaningful. Especially considering design. You can't patent a fashion… that's essentially what Apple's argument is based on here.How has patent law and copyright law helped innovation in America over the last 50 years? Most of it is just BS large companies changing the law to let them continue reaping money from their patented/copyrighted shit. Look at Walt Disney and the huge changes in copyright law they have pushed onto the government.Amazing.

  • http://twitter.com/bronstomp Bronwyn Marie West

    this too will pass. you don't see companies suing over similar mice, keyboards, desktop software organization, computer icons or fonts, do you? No, because the market is saturated. This will happen with tablets. Apple can't except to hold on to innovation when they bicker over the style of a damn icon. Use your court funds instead to feed some hungry children, you immoral capitalist pricks.

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