Samsung fires back with patent lawsuits against Apple

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Samsung made good on its word to fight back against Apple's lawsuit, which accused the Korean electronics giant of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad, by filing several patent infringement lawsuits against Apple in Seoul, Tokyo and Germany on Friday.



The Seoul, Korea-based company revealed on Friday that it had filed suit against Apple over patents related to cellphone transmission technologies, The Wall Street Journal reports. Though the lawsuits don't directly respond to Apple's filling, Samsung has indicated that they come as a counter to Apple.



"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 company said in a statement.



According to a company spokesperson, Samsung's suits relate to patents for transmission optimization and reduction of power usage during data transmission, 3G technology for reducing date-transmission errors and a method of tethering a mobile phone to a PC to enable the PC to utilize the phone's wireless data connection, the report noted.



The Journal reported on Monday that Apple was suing Samsung for allegedly copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad with its Galaxy-branded smartphone and tablet products.



On Tuesday, Samsung vowed to retaliate with its own legal action. "Apple is one of our key buyers of semiconductors and display panels. However, we have no choice but to respond strongly at this time," an unidentified Samsung official reportedly said.



Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee suggested to reporters on Thursday that Apple's lawsuit was an attempt to hold his company back. "When a nail sticks out, [people] try to pound it down," South Korean news outlets reported Lee as saying.







During a quarterly earnings conference call Wednesday, Apple COO Tim Cook reassured investors that Samsung remains a "valuable partner" in supplying components for Apple's devices in spite of the law suit.



"We felt the mobile communication division of Samsung had crossed the line, and after trying for some time to work out the issue, we decided we needed to rely on the courts," Cook said.



Apple reportedly accounted for 4 percent of Samsung's revenue last year, or $5.68 billion, making the iPhone maker Samsung's second-largest customer, behind Sony. Reports have suggested that Apple wil pass Sony to become Samsung's largest client this year with $7.8 billion in component purchases.



Earlier this week, a post to message boards accusing Apple of copying Samsung went viral. However, it was later revealed that Samsung may actually have copied Apple, since the F700 smartphone was announced in 2006, but not shown until Feb. 2007, a month after Apple unveiled the iPhone.







The impending legal battle between Apple and Samsung comes as the latest in a series of disputes between Apple and other handset manufacturers. In 2009, Nokia sued Apple over patents related to wireless technology. Apple quickly responded with a countersuit.



Apple sued Taiwanese manufacturer HTC in March of last year. At the start of the U.S. International Trade Commission trial for Apple's case against HTC earlier this week, the ITC staff, which acts as a third-party in the trial, came out in support on behalf of HTC.



Motorola and Apple are also locked in a legal tussle. Motorola sued Apple last October. Apple responded later that month, eventually adding most of the patents included in Apple's dispute with HTC.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 40
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member
  • Reply 2 of 40
    magicjmagicj Posts: 406member
    I sue you!

    You sue me!

    We're a happy family!
  • Reply 3 of 40
    Here's the break down of what Samsung is suing Apple for.



    South Korea: We hired South Koreans first to work for us, Apple must hired Americans for their store.



    Japan: Same as is South Korea. We are all Asians, Apple must hire Americans.



    Germany: The Apple store in Germany had an Asian working in one of their sore, and like we said before, we have a patent on the Asian workforce.



    Samsung doesn't have a chance running against Apple!!!
  • Reply 4 of 40
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    If Apple filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California what good does Samsung filing in S. Korea, Germany and Japan in regards to the original lawsuit?
  • Reply 5 of 40
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    I have a 52" samsung TV and an AppleTV. The AppleTv disconnected itselft from the TV in retaliation.
  • Reply 6 of 40
    jack99jack99 Posts: 157member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kriskkalu View Post


    Here's the break down of what Samsung is suing Apple for.



    South Korea: We hired South Koreans first to work for us, Apple must hired Americans for their store.



    Japan: Same as is South Korea. We are all Asians, Apple must hire Americans.



    Germany: The Apple store in Germany had an Asian working in one of their sore, and like we said before, we have a patent on the Asian workforce.



    Samsung doesn't have a chance running against Apple!!!



    I'm curious. How do you know?
  • Reply 7 of 40
    mennomenno Posts: 854member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    If Apple filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California what good does Samsung filing in S. Korea, Germany and Japan in regards to the original lawsuit?



    Since their a foreign based company, they may not have as many patents available. here. I'm curious to see what the patents they are claiming are. That could give us a better idea why they were suing in those countries.
  • Reply 8 of 40
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Menno View Post


    Since their a foreign based company, they may not have as many patents available. here. I'm curious to see what the patents they are claiming are. That could give us a better idea why they were suing in those countries.



    Are you foreign? Because your personalized use of their is not only wrong but not even the correct conjunction [They are => Since they're a foreign based company, ....].
  • Reply 9 of 40
    deewindeewin Posts: 34member
    I hate to say it, but it does look like Samsung copies existing designs. My gf's Samsung laptop looks almost exactly like a Macbook, right down to the non-removable battery!
  • Reply 10 of 40
    mennomenno Posts: 854member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    Are you foreign? Because your personalized use of their is not only wrong but not even the correct conjunction [They are => Since they're a foreign based company, ....].



  • Reply 11 of 40
    dbhdbh Posts: 41member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Menno View Post






    thanks!!!
  • Reply 12 of 40
    And that, Virginia, is what patents are for.
  • Reply 13 of 40
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member
    Counter law suit or not, it does not negate the fact that Samsung is a copycat in chief.

    They are doing this as a face saving approach.
  • Reply 14 of 40
    Don't forget everyone, Samsung is a copycat company and specialized in Apple recently, whatever Apple do then they'll mimic. So when Apple sue, they'll copy that too. It goes like the saying: Monkey see, monkey do.
  • Reply 15 of 40
    nkalunkalu Posts: 315member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kilimanjaro View Post


    Don't forget everyone, Samsung is a copycat company and specialized in Apple recently, whatever Apple do then they'll mimic. So when Apple sue, they'll copy that too. It goes like the saying: Monkey see, monkey do.



    Absolutely.
  • Reply 16 of 40
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,616member
    This all came about because Apple gave up on asking Samsung to play the game and to stop copying how the iPhone looks. Samsung execs must think that their products can't stand on their own and need the sales boost by looking, at a glance, like iPhones.



    Samsung need to grow a pair and realise that they don't need to copy Apple and can do better by making their own style of product.
  • Reply 17 of 40
    jack99jack99 Posts: 157member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nkalu View Post


    Counter law suit or not, it does not negate the fact that Samsung is a copycat in chief.

    They are doing this as a face saving approach.



    I'm not sure how naming a defendant in a lawsuit is an act of "saving face." In wars like this one, there are few winners in the end. It costs money to hire lawyers and bring people to court. This could turn into a war of attrition for their legal departments.
  • Reply 18 of 40
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by irnchriz View Post


    This all came about because Apple gave up on asking Samsung to play the game and to stop copying how the iPhone looks. Samsung execs must think that their products can't stand on their own and need the sales boost by looking, at a glance, like iPhones.



    Samsung need to grow a pair and realise that they don't need to copy Apple and can do better by making their own style of product.



    To be precise, those Samsung execs need to grow pairs..



    You're right you know, Samsung is one of the largest tech companies in the world, they even supply components to Apple, so basically they have enough resources and power to make at least a great and innovative product. So why can't they? Instead, why did they copy Apple's iPhone? Because the execs can't grow a pair, errr sorry, pairs..
  • Reply 19 of 40
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by magicj View Post


    I sue you!

    You sue me!

    We're a happy family!



    Samsung didn't like it when Steve told them "You're innovating it wrong".
  • Reply 20 of 40
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I have to believe Apple is vigorously pursuing and putting in place alternatives to all Samsung parts currently supplied to Apple.
Sign In or Register to comment.