Patent Infringement | "Samsung to sue Apple over iPhone 5 patent infringement"

By: Dean Wilson
Source: http://vr-zone.com
Category: Patent Infringement

Patent Infringement

Sources say that Samsung will get revenge on Apple by suing it for infringing its LTE patents in the latest iPhone model, a move which could see sales bans imposed on the lucrative smartphone.

 Industry sources told the Korea Times that Samsung plans to take “immediate legal action” against Apple, primarily in Europe and the United States, two of the largest markets for mobile devices.

The case will focus on Samsung's treasure trove of 4G Long-term Evolution (LTE) patents, which Apple will find a difficult time evading, given revelations from various sources that a major selling-point of the iPhone 5 will be its 4G connectivity.

Apple has evaded legal difficulties over 3G due to FRAND commitments made by many technology companies, but these terms do not cover the relatively new technology of 4G. Another Apple rival, HTC, is also suing the company over 4G patents, with a US judge stating that the patents are “likely valid,” which means Apple faces some tough times ahead as Google's army of Android supporters fire back against the US firm.

Apple won a major victory against Samsung recently, with the jury deciding that it had infringed several of Apple's design patents. Samsung was ordered to pay out $1.05 billion in damages and faces a possible US sales ban on many of its products, but the Korean electronics giant secured smaller victories in Japan and South Korea.

The iPhone 5 is widely expected to be announced at a major Apple event tomorrow, 12 September, with many analysts claiming it will be the biggest Apple product launch to date. However, the unveiling could be overshadowed by the threat of having to pull the phone from store shelves or remove the 4G functionality altogether.


Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/samsung-to-sue-apple-over-iphone-5-patent-infringement/17168.html