Samsung shop features Apple's App Store, Safari icons on decorative app wall
In the midst of a tense legal dispute with Apple, Samsung strangely appears to have borrowed the iPhone maker's icons for the App Store and Mobile Safari for inclusion on a wall of app icons at a "shop in shop" retail location in Italy.
Update: SetteB.IT reports (via Google Translate) that the app wall is part of the Euronics store's design and not commissioned by Samsung.
A photo of the South Korean electronics giant's new mini-shop, located inside a Euronics store at the "Centro Sicilia" shopping mall in Catania, Italy, appears to show one wall of the shop covered with app icons, including several apps from Apple found only on its iOS platform, AllThingsD reports (via HD Blog).
It should be noted, however, that it's not immediately clear whether Samsung authorized the app wall as part of its shop. Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the photo, the store's display features a prominent advertisement for the Galaxy Ace smartphone and contains a number of demo units of the company's smartphones and tablets. A variety of accessories also appear to be on offer at the shop.
Samsung and Apple will directly compete with each other at the Centro Sicilia, as Apple is set to open an Apple Store there on Saturday.
Interestingly enough, the photo has appeared even as Samsung has vowed to be "more aggressive" in its legal action against Apple. The company's head of global marketing for mobile communications, Lee Younghee, accused the iPhone maker of "free riding" on Samsung's patents and promised to be less "passive" in its approach.
The company made good on its claim by filing new patent infringement suits against Apple in the Netherlands. The complaints seek to ban the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, first-generation iPad and iPad 2. Samsung executives have also reportedly said that the company is already planning a legal assault of the iPhone 5.
"For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights," one senior executive for the company allegedly said.
For its part, Apple has accused Samsung of "slavish" copying of its iPhone and iPad. Lawsuits have since come in a rapid back-and-forth; all told, the two companies have racked up more than 20 complaints against each other.
Courts in Germany and Australia have sided with Apple, blocking Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 from sale in their countries.\t
The legal dispute between the two companies may have also affected their business relationship. In addition to competing with the iPhone maker, Samsung also serves as a supplier to critical components to Apple. According to one estimate, Apple will become Samsung's biggest customer this year with $7.8 billion in orders.
But, recent reports suggest that Apple may have turned elsewhere for production of its A-series processors and flash memory as its relationship with Samsung has worsened.
Update: SetteB.IT reports (via Google Translate) that the app wall is part of the Euronics store's design and not commissioned by Samsung.
A photo of the South Korean electronics giant's new mini-shop, located inside a Euronics store at the "Centro Sicilia" shopping mall in Catania, Italy, appears to show one wall of the shop covered with app icons, including several apps from Apple found only on its iOS platform, AllThingsD reports (via HD Blog).
It should be noted, however, that it's not immediately clear whether Samsung authorized the app wall as part of its shop. Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the photo, the store's display features a prominent advertisement for the Galaxy Ace smartphone and contains a number of demo units of the company's smartphones and tablets. A variety of accessories also appear to be on offer at the shop.
Samsung and Apple will directly compete with each other at the Centro Sicilia, as Apple is set to open an Apple Store there on Saturday.
Interestingly enough, the photo has appeared even as Samsung has vowed to be "more aggressive" in its legal action against Apple. The company's head of global marketing for mobile communications, Lee Younghee, accused the iPhone maker of "free riding" on Samsung's patents and promised to be less "passive" in its approach.
The company made good on its claim by filing new patent infringement suits against Apple in the Netherlands. The complaints seek to ban the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, first-generation iPad and iPad 2. Samsung executives have also reportedly said that the company is already planning a legal assault of the iPhone 5.
"For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights," one senior executive for the company allegedly said.
For its part, Apple has accused Samsung of "slavish" copying of its iPhone and iPad. Lawsuits have since come in a rapid back-and-forth; all told, the two companies have racked up more than 20 complaints against each other.
Courts in Germany and Australia have sided with Apple, blocking Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 from sale in their countries.\t
The legal dispute between the two companies may have also affected their business relationship. In addition to competing with the iPhone maker, Samsung also serves as a supplier to critical components to Apple. According to one estimate, Apple will become Samsung's biggest customer this year with $7.8 billion in orders.
But, recent reports suggest that Apple may have turned elsewhere for production of its A-series processors and flash memory as its relationship with Samsung has worsened.
Comments
Is this display furnished by Samsung? Are the back wall graphics also supplied by Samsung, assuming that any of the display comes direct from them, or are those elements a part of the retailers decor, perhaps repeated on other walls removed from Samsung's display? What does the rest of the retailers shop look like?
Did the company producing the graphics receive the proper releases before creating them? If all the elements were contracted by Samsung, did they have releases to use each of the logos for marketing purposes? Is this an official Samsung-designed and supplied sales area or one created by the retailer to display Samsung products?
Not nearly enough known to make any judgement.
So rich.
Total disregard for intellectual property.
Instant karma on deck.
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For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents.
That would seem to directly imply that it's patents are necessary for the operation of the industry, thus FRAND, thus they cannot prevent Apple from licensing them.
That would seem to directly imply that it's patents are necessary for the operation of the industry, thus FRAND, thus they cannot prevent Apple from licensing them.
And that brings up two potential defenses.
First that the patents in question could be part of a standard and Apple could show they licensed the standard from the combined 'owners'
Second is that Samsung was approached and refused to license to Apple or asked for terms that were extreme and unfair.
That would seem to directly imply that it's patents are necessary for the operation of the industry, thus FRAND, thus they cannot prevent Apple from licensing them.
How did you do that? Really! Did someone named Samsung post that and the moderators got rid of the post before I saw it?
Sorry, still learning.
And that brings up two potential defenses.
First that the patents in question could be part of a standard and Apple could show they licensed the standard from the combined 'owners'
Second is that Samsung was approached and refused to license to Apple or asked for terms that were extreme and unfair.
Or the third possibility that Apple management already had their minds made up that they weren't negotiating with Samsung on anything. Period.
In any case this isn't a big deal. They agree on a fair licensing fee, Apple pays up, and they go on their merry way.
Apple already had a FRAND licensing exercise with Nokia. Rather than take a chance in court, Apple paid up, threw in a few Apple patent licenses to Nokia, and every one went away happy. The same will happen here (sans rights to any Apple patents
How did you do that? Really! Did someone named Samsung post that and the moderators got rid of the post before I saw it?
Sorry, still learning.
I just used the quote tags with "Samsung" as the author.
(quote="Quoted person")Quoted text.(/quote)
Replace () with []
I just used the quote tags with "Samsung" as the author.
(quote="Quoted person")Quoted text.(/quote)
Replace () with []
Thank you!
Bwah!
I have the patent for the word "slavish" , so please remove it from your article.
Bwah!
I have a patent on "having patents for words" so please stop talking.
All Your Word Are Belong To Us!!! I mean ME!!!
I'm reminded of the "Absolutedesignz" guy. This tops the ironic chart, wether or not it was a designer, retailer, or Samsung themselves that commissioned it.
Glad to know I cross your mind
Glad to know I cross your mind
I like reading views from both sides. That probably just blackballed me, but I think I'm on everyone's ignore list anyway...
My RSS feed needs to rid itself of this tabloid grade trash.
Yep, there's no doubt the executives at Samsung decided to paint a wall in some obscure location in Italy with app logos taken from iOS while thinking "that'll learn em!"
My RSS feed needs to rid itself of this tabloid grade trash.
And so posting to the tabloid grade trash site is part of that strategy?
Wait, so are the cupcakes all gone?
Seemed assholeish lol