Apple sues Samsung over patented iPad, iPhone case designs

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
The legal battle between Samsung and Apple continues to grow, as Apple has filed a new lawsuit against Samsung accusing the company of violating patents related to tablet and smartphone case designs [updated with clarification from Samsung].



Update: Samsung contacted AppleInsider with a statement clarifying that Apple's new claims are related to the external appearance of the devices, rather than the accessories as originally reported.



"We would like to clarify that the additional claims filed by Apple in Australia do not relate to protective case accessories, as has been indicated in some media reports. In fact, the intellectual property asserted are patents related to the utility of mobile devices and design rights related to the external appearance of devices," the company's statement read.



Apple has notified Samsung of the alleged infringement, and will file a statement of claim with an Australian court, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Apple believes that Samsung's cases for tablets and phones violate "at least" 10 patents the company owns.



The latest accusations of patent infringement were revealed in a hearing held before Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett. Apple hopes to delay a trial scheduled to begin in March, in which Samsung hopes to prove that the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2 infringe on patents related to 3G data connections.



Apple believes Samsung's official case for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringes on its patented designs. The iPhone maker has also asserted that Samsung's cases designed for its smartphones are infringing.



Sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 were initially blocked in Australia as a court looked into Apple's claims of infringement with the touchscreen tablet. But the device was eventually approved for sale in Australia earlier this month.



The mounting lawsuits between Samsung and Apple span across four continents, and there are more than 30 lawsuits filed against one another. Apple fired first in the courtroom, suing Samsung in April for allegedly copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad.







But the latest twist in the showdown between the two companies is the first time that Apple has accused Samsung of copying cases for the iPhone and iPad, rather than the devices themselves.



Last week, Samsung sued Apple over four new patents in Germany, including one invention related to text input for a "smiley" icon, created by typing ":-)" on a device. Samsung has also attempted to use Apple's lawsuits against it, and has started marketing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 as "the tablet Apple tried to stop."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 91
    Their "Smart Case" tablet cover is a blatant ripoff of Apple's design. They should be ashamed of themselves. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/...ther-familiar/
  • Reply 2 of 91
    Isn't she the same judge whose flawed injunction against Samsung was overturned recently?
  • Reply 3 of 91
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post


    Their "Smart Case" tablet cover is a blatant ripoff of Apple's design. They should be ashamed of themselves. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/...ther-familiar/



    To be fair, that case you're pointing to is a third party case and not an official Samsung case. The Samsung case isn't such a blatant ripoff. In fact, it's not obvious what patents the case might infringe (but I haven't looked at Apple's case patents so I can't say one way or the other).

    http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/gal...EFC-1B1NBEGSTA
  • Reply 4 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post


    Their "Smart Case" tablet cover is a blatant ripoff of Apple's design. They should be ashamed of themselves. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/...ther-familiar/



    In before the people claiming Apple stole it from Incase.
  • Reply 5 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jkichline View Post


    Their "Smart Case" tablet cover is a blatant ripoff of Apple's design. They should be ashamed of themselves. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/...ther-familiar/



    you are talking about Anymode, not Samsung, right?
  • Reply 6 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    In before the people claiming Apple stole it from Incase.



    don't tell that.. most apple fans don't want to hear that..





    go apple! Apple #1.
  • Reply 7 of 91
    Neither company invented the tablet but it seems, in light of these lawsuits, that they were the originators of the tablet. Just let it go already.
  • Reply 8 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tooltalk View Post


    Isn't she the same judge whose flawed injunction against Samsung was overturned recently?



    A fact that doesn't equal Samsung winning the final case or this one.
  • Reply 9 of 91
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    I'm sick of these lawsuits. These two need to settle soon. All this does is distract from innovation. If Samsung or Apple are found in violation then they need to cross-license or change their designs.
  • Reply 10 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    To be fair, that case you're pointing to is a third party case and not an official Samsung case. The Samsung case isn't such a blatant ripoff. In fact, it's not obvious what patents the case might infringe (but I haven't looked at Apple's case patents so I can't say one way or the other).

    http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/gal...EFC-1B1NBEGSTA



    Isn't the CEO of anymode, the nephew to the Chairman of Samesung? I'm sure Samesung had no hand in aiding Anymode to copy the Smart Cover and call it the "smart case". Samesung has absolutely no shame in ripping off Apple.
  • Reply 11 of 91
    sricesrice Posts: 120member
    Long term, this may end up being great for Korea. Korea has always had a "copy society" .. someone needs to push them into the deep side of the pool and get them to swim for themselves.



    If they don't swim for themselves, eventually a bigger, badder copier (*cough* China *cough*), will drive their margins into the ground and they'll have a big problem.



    I'm all for Apple forcing this issue and trying to "fix Korea".
  • Reply 12 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The legal battle between Samsung and Apple continues to grow, as Apple has filed a new lawsuit against Samsung accusing the company of violating patents related to tablet and smartphone case designs.



    Apple has notified Samsung of the alleged infringement, and will file a statement of claim with an Australian court, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Apple believes that Samsung's cases for tables and phones violate "at least" 10 patents the company owns.




    Lame. Lame. Lame. Apple. Lame.







    A case design? Ten patents? Grasping at straws?





    Apple is treating the courts like its own private playground, where it can sit and shoot annoying spitballs at the other kids - who are all big meanies and copycats.
  • Reply 13 of 91
    In order for the case to attach it uses magnets and the tablet has to have certain spots for the magnets to attach. So the Samsung tablet must had been designed with the ability to allow for a 'smart cover" to attach. This feature was patented by Apple. I don't know if the Samsung tablet will turn on/off by the smart cover as well, but I am guessing that Apple patented this feature as well.
  • Reply 14 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    I'm sick of these lawsuits. These two need to settle soon. All this does is distract from innovation. If Samsung or Apple are found in violation then they need to cross-license or change their designs.



    Are you saying that Apple should spend less time cooking up lawsuits, and more time, y'know, like, innovating?
  • Reply 15 of 91
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Isn't the CEO of anymode, the nephew to the Chairman of Samesung? I'm sure Samesung had no hand in aiding Anymode to copy the Smart Cover and call it the "smart case". Samesung has absolutely no shame in ripping off Apple.



    imo Apple is the biggest fool has it continues to buy components from Samsung...
  • Reply 16 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Samesung has absolutely no shame in ripping off Apple.



    OTOH, Apple has always been shameless about stealing great ideas.
  • Reply 17 of 91
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    I'm sick of these lawsuits. These two need to settle soon. All this does is distract from innovation. If Samsung or Apple are found in violation then they need to cross-license or change their designs.



    Jobs said he welcomes competition. But he said competitors must innovate by themselves. At the end of these lawsuits, I think Apple's goal is so consumers can easily differentiate Apple products from the competitors.
  • Reply 18 of 91
    neo42neo42 Posts: 287member
    Enough with the frivolous lawsuits Apple, Samsung. We'd rather you spend your resources on product development than petty bickering.
  • Reply 19 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Neo42 View Post


    Enough with the frivolous lawsuits Apple, Samsung. We'd rather you spend your resources on product development than petty bickering.



    Agreed.
  • Reply 20 of 91
    I thought the smart cover design was based off of the 3rd party iPad 1 case.



    Apple likely has patents on the attachments (rightfully) but the case design isn't theirs.
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