iPhone 5 Revenge? Samsung Uses Patent Claim to Block iPhone 4S Sales
Samsung Electronics said Wednesday that it will seek to block iPhone 4S sales in France and Italy. The Korean technology company alleges that Apple's new iPhone violates its patents.
Apple just released its new iPhone 4S Tuesday, and already there's new trouble brewing from its biggest competitor – Samsung and its Galaxy smartphone. The lawsuit would join an extended intellectual property war between the two tech giants.
Samsung has proclaimed it will seek to file for a ban on iPhone 4S sales in Europe on Wednesday and added that each case involves two alleged patent infringements related to its wireless technology.
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"Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free-ride on our technology," the Korean firm said in a statement. "We will steadfastly protect our intellectual property."
Samsung also warned it plans to file legal cases in other countries. It is looking to stop the sale of the iPhone 4S, it said in a statement.
Only last month, Apple sued Samsung on the grounds of technology patents that Samsung allegedly violated. The iPhone maker was looking to block the sales of Galaxy smartphones in Japan. Before that, a similar disagreement erupted in the Australia market.
Apple is reportedly the single biggest smartphone maker. According to Bloomberg Business Week, iPhones accounted for almost half of Apple’s sales in the most recent quarter.
However, Apple is also Samsung's biggest customer. It mostly buys its chips and displays from the Korean firm, according to Reuters. The legal battle might potentially end the two giants’ business cooperation.
Apple and Samsung are reportedly due to meet again in courtrooms in the United States, the Netherlands and South Korea next week.
The Christian Post has reported extensively on the tensions and legal incidents occurring between the two tech companies.
What is at stake is the leadership in the market for smartphones, which is projected to double by 2015, when 1 billion of the handsets will be sold, according to Bloomberg Busines Week.
