iPhone 5 Should be Blocked in S. Korea, Samsung Says
The Samsung/Apple legal dispute continues.
Apple's iPhone 5 is still unreleased and unannounced, but Samsung already has the product in its crosshairs. Samsung wants to block the iPhone 5 in South Korea once the much-anticipated phone is released.
The company plans on taking Apple to court for its "violations of Samsung's wireless technology related patents," an unnamed senior Samsung executive told The Korea Times.
It would be a preemptive strike in the much-publicized worldwide patent war between the two tech giants.
Apple and Samsung have been battling it out in courts across the globe, each alleging the other of patent infringement.
Apple recently won an injunction against Samsung in Europe, blocking the sale of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in Germany, according to Ars Technica.
Apple also won EU-wide injunctions over Samsung's Galaxy S, Galaxy SII and Ace phones.
The patent battles aren't just contained in Europe. Samsung is delaying the sale of Galaxy Tabs in Australia due to another pending injunction.
In total, there are approximately 23 legal proceedings between the two companies taking place in France, Italy, UK, US, Japan and Korea.
Is the global patent war between the two tech companies ever going to come to a cease fire? Probably not.
Samsung says that as long as Apple doesn't "drop mobile telecommunications functions" it will be infringing on the Korean company's wireless patents.
But, a mobile phone would be pretty non-functional if it lacked "mobile telecommunications functions." Logically, it's unlikely that Apple will budge on that point, which is why the Samsung/Apple legal dispute is probably just going to get uglier.
Related Resources:
- Samsung to sue to ban Apple's iPhone 5 sales: Report (The Economic Times)
- Apple Stole iPad Idea from Stanley Kubrick's 2001, Samsung Argues (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Apple Blocks Samsung Galaxy Tablet Sales in Europe (FindLaw's Technologist)