Samsung: Apple trying to limit consumer choice
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Samsung on Saturday accused Apple of resorting to litigation in an effort to limit consumer choice after the iPhone maker said it was seeking to stop the sale of Galaxy S III smartphones in the United States.
Fresh from its $1 billion court victory over Samsung Electronics Co, Apple Inc., in a separate case, asked a federal district court in San Jose, California, on Friday to add four more products to a list of Samsung goods that Apple says infringe its patents.
The new list of 21 products includes Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy S III as well as the Galaxy Note, another popular Android phone. If the court finds those devices are infringing Apple's patents and irreparably harming the U.S. company, it could temporarily halt sales in the U.S. market even before the trial begins.
The latest accusation is part of a larger, epic struggle over patents and innovation in one of the most lucrative consumer electronics sectors that is unfolding in 10 countries.
The biggest stakes are in the U.S., the world's largest smartphone market in 2011. Last month, a jury in the San Jose court found that Samsung had copied Apple's design innovations and Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billion. Samsung has vowed to appeal the verdict, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
On Saturday, Samsung denounced Apple's attempt to halt sales of the S III, which hit the 10 million global sales mark in July, less than three months after its release.
"Apple continues to resort to litigation over market competition in an effort to limit consumer choice," Samsung said in a statement. "We will continue to take the necessary legal measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products in the United States."
The strong sales of the S III were crucial in driving Samsung's quarterly profit to a record high in the last quarter and helped it stay ahead in the worldwide smartphone market.
In documents filed with San Jose federal district court on Friday, Apple said 21 Samsung smartphones, media players and tablets released after August 2011 were "copycat products."
"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone and tablet computer products, Samsung has chosen to copy Apple's technology, user interface, and innovative style," Apple said in one document.
The Cupertino, California-based company claimed that Samsung is illegally using its eight patents. One patent is related to the way the device retrieves information in a computer system and another is about gestures on a touchscreen display to unlock a device.
Apple and Samsung are the world's two largest smartphone makers and together they control over half of the global market. They are embroiled in similar legal tussles in Asia, Europe and the United States.
In April 2011, Apple first accused Samsung of illegally copying Apple's design and technology in the smartphones powered by Google Inc.'s Android technology. Samsung countersued, arguing Apple's iPhone and iPad used its wireless technology without permission.
Fresh from its $1 billion court victory over Samsung Electronics Co, Apple Inc., in a separate case, asked a federal district court in San Jose, California, on Friday to add four more products to a list of Samsung goods that Apple says infringe its patents.
The new list of 21 products includes Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy S III as well as the Galaxy Note, another popular Android phone. If the court finds those devices are infringing Apple's patents and irreparably harming the U.S. company, it could temporarily halt sales in the U.S. market even before the trial begins.
The latest accusation is part of a larger, epic struggle over patents and innovation in one of the most lucrative consumer electronics sectors that is unfolding in 10 countries.
The biggest stakes are in the U.S., the world's largest smartphone market in 2011. Last month, a jury in the San Jose court found that Samsung had copied Apple's design innovations and Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billion. Samsung has vowed to appeal the verdict, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
On Saturday, Samsung denounced Apple's attempt to halt sales of the S III, which hit the 10 million global sales mark in July, less than three months after its release.
"Apple continues to resort to litigation over market competition in an effort to limit consumer choice," Samsung said in a statement. "We will continue to take the necessary legal measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products in the United States."
The strong sales of the S III were crucial in driving Samsung's quarterly profit to a record high in the last quarter and helped it stay ahead in the worldwide smartphone market.
In documents filed with San Jose federal district court on Friday, Apple said 21 Samsung smartphones, media players and tablets released after August 2011 were "copycat products."
"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone and tablet computer products, Samsung has chosen to copy Apple's technology, user interface, and innovative style," Apple said in one document.
The Cupertino, California-based company claimed that Samsung is illegally using its eight patents. One patent is related to the way the device retrieves information in a computer system and another is about gestures on a touchscreen display to unlock a device.
Apple and Samsung are the world's two largest smartphone makers and together they control over half of the global market. They are embroiled in similar legal tussles in Asia, Europe and the United States.
In April 2011, Apple first accused Samsung of illegally copying Apple's design and technology in the smartphones powered by Google Inc.'s Android technology. Samsung countersued, arguing Apple's iPhone and iPad used its wireless technology without permission.
Don't buy Apple crap and you will be better off. The overpriced stuff pays for corporate grred not the unfortunate children who build these things in China
Most of you hate Apple, as the posts suggest, but I hate Samsung for their business practices in Korea and abroad including in US.  They are not the impeccable company you choose to believe.
Some plan to stay ahead in the market, sue the competition!!
love my Galaxy and have no intention of buying an apple.
Since the loss of Apples founder you might as well buy Microsoft products and save yourself a few dollars.
 @Telman@ Microsoft or Linux for me ... nothing's changed for me these last ~15 years.
This whole lawsuit was such BS. Screw Apple. I'm never buying another Apple product.
 @Smashquail But their products are cool ... right? Aren't they? Oh jeez, someone tell me what's cool before I really start to panic here...
If customers don't want iPhones then why do they buy them anyway. Your logic simply makes no sense at all. There are plenty of options for people to buy if they don't want an iPhone. You sound like someone who hates Apple and will simply spew some incoherent crap to back it. Frankly people should just buy what works for them, and what works for you simply doesn't matter for anyone but you.Â
 @SeattleJoe To which "incoherent crap" do you refer?
 @Lloyd Christmas I'm finding I don't like Livefyre. I did a reply to Freespeech but it came in at the top level. Anyway, the incoherent crap is this: He lists things that are important to him/her and acts like everyone should feel the same way. Clearly what people are getting must be adequate for some percentage buy the iPhone over other options by their own volition. What he/she likes or wants is simply not a factor in their decision. He also rattled on about the trial and I have to ask myself, did 12 jurors get hoodwinked by Apples attorneys or did they have a case? Certainly we could have had another OJ style trial with a completely sympathetic jury but I suspect there was something to Apples case.  Its possible the really bad Samsung lawyers lost the case by simple incompetence too. Who knows. But to say that Apple is trying to "tell everyone else what we want" is bogus. This reeks of someone not able to separate shrewd business decisions with "wanting to tell everyone else what we want".
Should we be surprised.. Apple wants to tell everyone else what we want instead of consumers buying what they actually want... I hope the appeal process tosses that finding and tells Apple to pound sand as hell... other countries apple has tried this with have turned them down yet US courts seem to be backing Apple a major corporation... go figure!
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I for one will be buying android phones as long as I can get them because they are much more customizable to WHAT I WANT it to do they have bigger screens to Apples pathetic 3.5...I have not owned any apple products have been forced to use them at times but where I have had the choice I went PC or another alternative.... iTunes makes me want to puke with how apple forces people to use it for any purchases... screw that!
 @Freespeech Oh JOY!!! You can customize your home screen!!!  It's total nerd paradise!!!
@Freespeech Finally, a voice of reason. I don't feel like Apple should have had a leg to stand on in this case. The phones look nothing alike, the Apples tiny screen is a joke, and who cares about the zoom feature and bounce back or whatever. I'm gonna buy one of these Galaxy 3s this week, just because Apple feels threatened by it.