Samsung-Apple Legal Battles Continue as Apple Files Countersuit in Japan
Apple is seeking to ban sales of some Samsung Electronics gadgets in Japan, accusing its rival of violating patents relating to the iPhone and iPad, the latest salvo in a series of patent battles between the two companies.
Apple has filed a suit with the Tokyo District Court seeking the suspension of sales of Galaxy S and its sequel S II smartphones and the Galaxy Tab 7 in Japan, according to sources close to the matter. The first hearing was held on Wednesday, the source said.
Apple-Samsung Battle Continues as Apple files Countersuit in Japan
The legal battles between Apple and Samsung are really reaching historic proportions. The two companies have been engaged in this battle since April of this year. The lawsuits filed on both sides all have to do with Samsung’s line of Galaxy smartphones and tablets, which are said to be the biggest challengers that Apple has to its iPhones and iPads.
The South Korean based Samsung Electronics has been sued by Apple in the United States, Australian, South Korea, and Europe. Samsung has been countersuing Apple in those locations, too. In April, Samsung sued Apple in Japan and on August 23, Apple countersued Samsung. According to the filing, Apple wants $1.3 million in damages and a ban on any sales within Japan. The Japanese market has been good to Samsung, with the Galaxy S smartphone outselling Apple’s iPhone in the first three months of this year, according to Strategy Analytics, a research firm.
Last month, Samsung agreed to a delay in Australia of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 until the court rules on Apple’s lawsuit later this month. Last month, a German court issued a preliminary injunction against the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany and last week, that injunction was expanded to include the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7.
Earlier today, NTT Docomo, which is the top mobile carrier in Japan, put the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on its LTE network. When asked about the launch and the legal battles over patent infringement and copyright violations, the president of NTT Docomo, Ryuji Yamada said, “We have heard from Samsung that it’s all right.”
