Apple targets Galaxy S II, 9 other Samsung smartphones in new German suit

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


Apple's latest lawsuits against Samsung have asked a German court to ban the sale of the Galaxy S II and nine other smartphones, along with five tablet models.



The new suit was filed in the Dusseldorf Regional Court and cites multiple patented designs owned by Apple in Europe, according to Bloomberg. A separate lawsuit also targets five Samsung tablets, and is related to a September ruling that barred sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.



Though Apple managed to initially block the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, Samsung redesigned the device and renamed it the Galaxy Tab 10.1N. Those changes were apparently enough for the court in Germany, which indicated last month that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is not likely to be banned from sale.



As for the smartphone suit, it targets Samsung's Galaxy S Plus in addition to the Galaxy S II. No other individual smartphone models were identified in the report, but there are said to be 10 in all named.



"The new suits aren't filed under emergency proceedings and allow Apple a new procedure against both models," author Karin Matussek wrote. A spokesperson for Samsung confirmed the South Korean electronics maker had received both lawsuits from Apple.





Samsung Galaxy S II, photo via Cnet.







Apple made the first attack in the courtroom against Samsung in April, with a lawsuit accusing the company of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. That sparked a worldwide legal battle in which both companies have accused the other of patent infringement.



The lawsuits have continued to grow, and now span over 10 countries across four continents. Earlier this month, Samsung unsuccessfully tried to bar sales of the iPhone in Italy.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 93
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Jeesh. . . enough already!!
  • Reply 2 of 93
    I hope this one sticks. I hope Apple can get treble damages for every galaxy product ever sold.
  • Reply 3 of 93
    Apple said Siri was its largest team. Its looking like its lawyers are by far the largest single team at Apple.
  • Reply 4 of 93
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Jeesh. . . enough already!!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple v. Samsung View Post


    Apple said Siri was its largest team. Its looking like its lawyers are by far the largest single team at Apple.



    I see the Android shills are right on cue.



    I recommend a little more substance, boys, you seem a little whiny this morning.
  • Reply 5 of 93
    Enough Already!
  • Reply 6 of 93
    LOL at the commenters on gadget sites. They're really angry that their galaxy products are being sued. They can post pictures all day long but at the end of the day everyone will agree that their products are an exact copy of Apple products. Thank goodness lawsuits are settled on the merits of the case and not by comments from hot headed Samesung fanboys.



    Samesung Product Development Checklist



    Idea copy : Check

    Design copy : Check

    OS copy : Check

    Product case copy : Check

    Product Accessory copy : Check

    Commercial Copy : Check

    Repeat each time Apple comes up with a new product : Check
  • Reply 7 of 93
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Jeesh. . . enough already!!



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 845032 View Post


    Enough Already!



    Yeah, I think Samsung has done enough copying, too. Glad you both agree.
  • Reply 8 of 93
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Yeah, I think Samsung has done enough copying, too. Glad you both agree.



    Well said. I hope Apple win. Let Google and Samsung et al go and develop their own OS, heck if Microsoft can do it ... nuff said ...



    (Clarification ... I am talking Mobile OS, of course I know MS couldn't develop their own desktop OS)
  • Reply 9 of 93
    Justice must be served. Just take a look at what Samsung has been doing.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-copies-2012-1



    Besides, tell me Sammy fanboys, do you really want to support an evil company like Samsung?

    http://www.publiceye.ch/en/vote/
  • Reply 10 of 93
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple v. Samsung View Post


    Apple said Siri was its largest team. Its looking like its lawyers are by far the largest single team at Apple.



    It's really bad form to link to your own site in your sig. It also affects everything you post when your sig has a link to a pro Android site in it.



    In other words you are not only being rude you are undercutting everything you say. Real smart.
  • Reply 11 of 93
    hzchzc Posts: 63member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Jeesh. . . enough already!!



    You can't fault a company for defending its patent portfolio. Regardless what we think of the actual patents, if they are frivolous or really worthy, I feel Apple is going about this the correct way afforded by the law. Of all the companies making iPhone-like smart phones, Samsung is by far and wide the most obvious and arrogant of blatant patent infringement and slavish copying.



    They make good LED TVs though... I have 3
  • Reply 12 of 93
    I'm looking for a compelling argument as to why Samsung phones in their current state are so close to the iPhone in design and operation that they should be sued and potentially banned. It seems to me that only in the mobile phone and tablet industries can one company sue another for designing a product that borrows from the ideas of a competitor. In all industries, the products within some category are always designed to be as similar as possible to the products of a competitor without being outright copies. Look at the auto industry for one example. Car companies invest huge sums of money to design new cars that fit into about seven different categories that have existed for decades: sedans, coupes, SUVs, pickups, minivans, and wagons/hatchbacks. Within one of those categories, any given vehicle is going to be substantially similar to any other vehicle so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. This is even true if you compare current cars to older cars. Someone from the 60s would still recognize a sedan made today as being a sedan even though modern cars are different from those made in the 60s. Car designs are all slight variations on one theme, and it works for consumers. Why should the mobile phone market be any different, and more importantly why are you all so enthusiastic about having fewer choices for consumers? The Samsung Galaxy phones are clearly not identical to iPhones. Instead they are substantially similar so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. Hmm...
  • Reply 13 of 93
    Just the fact that Apple had to file in a German court shows how US judicial system can't/won't protect American company IPs. samesung is peddling their disgusting products everywhere and even if Apple receives summary judgment in Germany, samesung products will have had infested the world with their lame copies of Apple. I hope Apple not only gets treble damages but is able to force evil samesung into bankruptcy. samesung does not deserve a place in the world. Does anyone here know how soon Apple can get summary judgement to block samesung products in Europe? Will the outcome affect rulings in US and Asia?
  • Reply 14 of 93
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wakefinance View Post


    I'm looking for a compelling argument as to why Samsung phones in their current state are so close to the iPhone in design and operation that they should be sued and potentially banned. It seems to me that only in the mobile phone and tablet industries can one company sue another for designing a product that borrows from the ideas of a competitor. In all industries, the products within some category are always designed to be as similar as possible to the products of a competitor without being outright copies. Look at the auto industry for one example. Car companies invest huge sums of money to design new cars that fit into about seven different categories that have existed for decades: sedans, coupes, SUVs, pickups, minivans, and wagons/hatchbacks. Within one of those categories, any given vehicle is going to be substantially similar to any other vehicle so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. This is even true if you compare current cars to older cars. Someone from the 60s would still recognize a sedan made today as being a sedan even though modern cars are different from those made in the 60s. Car designs are all slight variations on one theme, and it works for consumers. Why should the mobile phone market be any different, and more importantly why are you all so enthusiastic about having fewer choices for consumers? The Samsung Galaxy phones are clearly not identical to iPhones. Instead they are substantially similar so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. Hmm...



    So buy those knock off Chinese manufactured fake LV handbags, fake Rolex watches, fake Tiffany rings, fake Mickey mouse toys, etc. etc. I'm sure samesung lovers will say their fake rolex watches have better parts in them.
  • Reply 15 of 93
    mrstepmrstep Posts: 513member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Yeah, I think Samsung has done enough copying, too. Glad you both agree.



    That's totally unfair - they clearly haven't copied the Contacts and Messages icons yet since their contacts is uglier and messages has a different color. So people just BACK OFF!



    Seriously though, it's incredible what a f*(#$&ing rip-off job Samsung (well, and Google) did, from hardware look to same exact number of icons, knock-off 'page' indicator, then 4 more icons on 'dock', including the green phone icon.



    No no, I'm sure Apple copied it all too, right fandroids? Give me a break.
  • Reply 16 of 93
    mrstepmrstep Posts: 513member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wakefinance View Post


    I'm looking for a compelling argument as to why Samsung phones in their current state are so close to the iPhone in design and operation that they should be sued and potentially banned. It seems to me that only in the mobile phone and tablet industries can one company sue another for designing a product that borrows from the ideas of a competitor. In all industries, the products within some category are always designed to be as similar as possible to the products of a competitor without being outright copies. Look at the auto industry for one example. Car companies invest huge sums of money to design new cars that fit into about seven different categories that have existed for decades: sedans, coupes, SUVs, pickups, minivans, and wagons/hatchbacks. Within one of those categories, any given vehicle is going to be substantially similar to any other vehicle so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. This is even true if you compare current cars to older cars. Someone from the 60s would still recognize a sedan made today as being a sedan even though modern cars are different from those made in the 60s. Car designs are all slight variations on one theme, and it works for consumers. Why should the mobile phone market be any different, and more importantly why are you all so enthusiastic about having fewer choices for consumers? The Samsung Galaxy phones are clearly not identical to iPhones. Instead they are substantially similar so that the differences between them come down largely to aesthetics or feel. Hmm...



    So you're comparing making a type of car/pickup/van/etc. (phone vs. tablet vs. pc) with making a car that people can't tell apart from 10 feet away? If you could park a Ferrari and a Ford in a courtroom and not have the Ford lawyers be able to tell you which car is which, you just might want to call it design infringement too.
  • Reply 17 of 93
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jannewmx View Post


    So buy those knock off Chinese manufactured fake LV handbags, fake Rolex watches, fake Tiffany rings, fake Mickey mouse toys, etc. etc. I'm sure samesung lovers will say their fake rolex watches have better parts in them.



    You missed the point. A product that is outwardly identical to another product including brand name in order to deceive consumers is not an example of competition between similar products.
  • Reply 18 of 93
    This is really easy to answer.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jannewmx View Post


    Does anyone here know how soon Apple can get summary judgement to block samesung products in Europe?



    Never





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jannewmx View Post


    Will the outcome affect rulings in US and Asia?



    and No
  • Reply 19 of 93
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrstep View Post


    So you're comparing making a type of car/pickup/van/etc. (phone vs. tablet vs. pc) with making a car that people can't tell apart from 10 feet away? If you could park a Ferrari and a Ford in a courtroom and not have the Ford lawyers be able to tell you which car is which, you just might want to call it design infringement too.



    Why don't we consider scale here? Lets say you can't distinguish between an iPad and a Galaxy Tab from 10 feet away. You are then asked to distinguish a Ford from a Chevrolet from 10 feet. Whether or not you know which car is a Ford and which car is a Chevy, you can probably tell they are different. But cars are much larger than tablets, so lets move back to about 180 feet away. Can you still distinguish between them? That depends on how much you know about Fords and Chevrolets.
  • Reply 20 of 93
    majjomajjo Posts: 574member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jannewmx View Post


    LOL at the commenters on gadget sites. They're really angry that their galaxy products are being sued. They can post pictures all day long but at the end of the day everyone will agree that their products are an exact copy of Apple products. Thank goodness lawsuits are settled on the merits of the case and not by comments from hot headed Samesung fanboys.



    Samesung Product Development Checklist



    Idea copy : Check

    Design copy : Check

    OS copy : Check

    Product case copy : Check

    Product Accessory copy : Check

    Commercial Copy : Check

    Repeat each time Apple comes up with a new product : Check



    To be fair though, apple hasnt been winning on design from the courts.

    In netherlands they won on a patent for scrolling behavior.

    In australia, they won on patents involving touch input and manufacturing processes.

    Even in the US, i think the focus has now shifted to a patent on scrolling behavior yet again.



    It was only in germany that apple won on a design basis. And even then it was not even on a design for currently shipping products.



    So it seems that either the courts dont really seem to care about the design, or the case for copying design is weak.
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