“Apple Inc. is bringing its patent fight with Samsung Electronics Co. over smartphones and tablet computers to South Korea,” The Associated Press reports.
“Apple spokesman Steve Park said Friday that the company filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Seoul Central District Court,” AP reports. “Park said the Cupertino, California-based company needs ‘to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.'”
Full article here.
Evan Ramstad and In-Soo Nam report for The Wall Street Journal, “Apple makes the same product-copying claims against Samsung that it made in the U.S. two months ago. As it did in the original suit, Apple in the new case alleges that Samsung copied the look and feel of its iPhone and iPad products for smartphones and tablet computers that Samsung released last year and this year.”
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“The case is one of several lawsuits Apple is involved in, including ones with other competitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and HTC Corp. as the smartphone industry becomes more competitive,” Ramstad and Nam report. “Samsung executives in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in May denied Apple’s allegation that it copied the design of the iPhone and iPad for its Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers.”
MacDailyNews Take: Yeah, what resemblance?
“To local media, Samsung executives portrayed Apple’s allegations as an attempt to hold back Samsung and an ‘attack on our pride,’ leading to news coverage that suggested the U.S. company is trying to arrest South Korea’s economic development.”
MacDailyNews Take: What pride?
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: So, this is great and all, but doesn’t Samsung own South Korea? 😉
Seriously, Samsung accounts for around 1/5th of South Korea’s total exports. Good luck to Seoul Central District Court in the impartiality department – even in the face of obvious and blatant trade dress infringement.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “GetMeOnTop” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Judge denies Samsung request to see Apple iPhone 5, iPad 3 – June 22, 2011
Samsung denies negotiating with Apple over iPhone and iPad infringement – June 20, 2011
Apple and Samsung executives in talks on patent lawsuits – June 18, 2011
Apple amends complaint against Samsung, asserts more IP rights against more products – June 17, 2011
Apple feels ‘harassed’ by ‘copyist’ Samsung’s demands iPhone 5 and iPad 3 previews; showdown on Friday – June 14, 2011
Samsung seeks court order to see Apple’s next-gen iPhone, iPad samples in patent dispute – May 31, 2011
Judge orders Samsung to hand over five unreleased Android phones, tablets to Apple – May 24, 2011
Samsung files new lawsuit against Apple in U.S. – April 29, 2011
Samsung phone sales drop 14%, profit drops 30% – April 29, 2011
NPD: Apple iPhone 4 for Verizon best-selling mobile phone in U.S.; causes Android to lose share for first time since Q209 – April 28, 2011
Samsung’s new Galaxy S phone shows few changes from model that prompted Apple lawsuit – April 28, 2011
Samsung countersues Apple over iPhone, iPad; lawsuits filed in South Korea, Japan and Germany – April 22, 2011
Apple lawsuit against Samsung deemed no threat to supply – April 19, 2011
Apple v. Samsung: a complete lawsuit analysis – April 19, 2011
Samsung vows to countersue Apple over patent suit – April 19, 2011
Why Apple is suing Samsung and why Samsung will likely settle – April 19, 2011
Apple to Samsung: ‘Blatant copying is wrong’ – April 18, 2011
Apple sues Samsung for attempting to copy look and feel of iPhone, iPad – April 18, 2011
Samsung’s ‘Instinct’ is obviously to make Apple iPhone knockoffs – April 1, 2008
Valiant but ultimately futile effort. Still, full marks for trying. The only people who’ll benefit out of all this would be a couple of lawyers in Seoul who would otherwise be unemployed given how little legal work there is in Korea for patent infringement.
Dude, it’s only going to get worse. This is just the beginning. There is so much money at stake companies are willing to risk stealing Apple’s IP, and Apple is a big target for frivolous lawsuits as well. Look for Apple to be spending a billion a year on lawyers for the foreseeable future.
“frivolous” class action law suits were just dealt a serious blow this week. I bet the frivolous lawyers are scrambling for a new way to file “frivolous” lawsuits.
Apple is probably filing in South Korea in aid of the case in US court.
Your goodness aside, why would it end before there is a settlement?? It is not meant as mass entertainment, but settlement of an issue.
Despite Samsung’s ridiculous claim, Apple is not trying to arrest South Korea’s economic growth. South Korea is a good ally and trade partner with the U.S., and it is our interest for them to have a healthy economy. This lawsuit is a simple patent dispute, not an attack on the nation.
Doesn’t Samsung own South Korea?
Just part of it. They have to share with Rucky Goldsta (LG), Hyundai, Dauwoo, and all the other chaebols (conglomerates).
Regarding Rucky Goldsta – that’s how their employees I have worked with pronounced the company name.
Remember after the original iPhone launched, there was a Samsung phone that had exact copies of iPhone icons, like the sunflower, etc.
“Pride”??? Koreans are proud to be copy cats? Koreans are proud to have no innovative qualities?
Simply put Yes. Thats business as usual in Korea. They do what it takes get ahead and it doesn’t really matter how. They copy the competition and put a Korean brand name on it and there you go. Samsung isn’t the only company either.
“Samsung executives in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in May denied Apple’s allegation that it copied the design of the iPhone and iPad…”
I’m with Samsung on this. After all, the did put the little dots indicating screens at the top.