Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung has filed an infringement claim against Apple in Australia, reports Bloomberg. The claim accuses Apple of infringing on seven of Samsung’s patents with its iPhone and iPad products.
The patents are related to wireless communications standards and Samsung is seeking to use those patents to defend itself against an Apple filing that asserts design and technology patents against Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy tablets.
This marks yet another riposte in the legal battle between Samsung and Apple, which is currently being waged in Australia, Asia, the US and Germany. Apple and Samsung are now fighting 20 separate patent lawsuits across the world, both accusing each other of infringing their intellectual property.
Apple also has legal proceedings against the Galaxy line in the US and Germany. In the case being heard in Australia, which involves patents as well as intellectual property, Samsung has postponed the introduction of the Tab, originally scheduled for later this month. In the German case, Apple has been granted an injunction against the sale of the Samsung Galaxy tab, which was just upheld.
In that case, the German court issued the statement that it “is of the opinion that Apple’s minimalistic design isn’t the only technical solution to make a tablet computer, other designs are possible.”
In its ITC case in the US against Samsung, Apple said that Samsung has ‘slavishly’ copied the design of the iPhone and iPad in the creation of the Galaxy Tab, Infuse 4G and other products.
Samsung has said that it “believes there is no legal basis for this motion by Apple,” and that they “will continue to actively defend and protect our intellectual property to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communication business.”
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