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Apple Sues Samsung in Japan over iPad and iPhone Patents

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samsung galaxy tab 7 7
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

For those keeping up with the back and forth lawsuits between Samsung and Apple, Reuters reports that Apple has now filed suit against Samsung in Japan over patent violations related to the iPad and iPhone.

California-based Apple is seeking the suspension of sales of Samsung's handsets in Japan, as well as 100 million yen ($1.3 million) in damages, Kyodo added, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Samsung had previously filed a lawsuit against Apple in several countries including Japan. This latest news is just another step in the legal escalation.

Apple recently won a preliminary injunction against the sale and promotion of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in Germany.

Top Rated Comments

bushido Avatar
196 months ago
meh can we have a patent news filter. this isnt even a "rumor" and makes me tempted to buy a samsung more and more.

- sent from my iPhone 5
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago

Apple recently won (https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/06/apple-samsung-dispute-galaxy-tab-7-7-pulled-in-germany-ipad-sales-disclosure-in-australia/) a preliminary injunction against the sale and promotion of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in Germany.

Erm, a preliminary injunction in Germany is granted without hearing the defendant or checking the application beyond just having a probability of success. So Apple won nothing and in case of failing in the main hearing they may well face pretty steep compensations for damages.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MonkeySee.... Avatar
196 months ago
The more and more this happens, the more and more I feel that Apple's "new" phone (whenever it releases this year will look like a type of "samsung" phone
Well. yeah.

If Samsung is copying an Apple design then surely anything Apple now produce will look like Samsung stuff.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
196 months ago


Is the Galaxy that much of a threat?

Or is this a warning shot for every tablet maker out there?
It doesn't have to be _much_ of a threat. If 100,000 people buy a Samsung tablet instead of an iPad, that is maybe $60 million in revenue and $20 million in profit lost for Apple. I wouldn't call it a threat to Apple, but worth suing over.

And there are plenty of tablets for sale that do _not_ look anything like iPads. And if you go to a store selling TVs from multiple manufacturers, you can easily spot which ones are made by Samsung - they can make quite nice stuff when they don't think they have to copy the market leader, and their TVs _do_ look quite different from others.


Apple v. eMachines
eMachines lost because their computer looked very much like the design patents that Apple had for the iMac. eMachines had design patents themselves for all-on-one computers. They got these design patents before Apple showed the iMac. Accordingly they looked very much different from the iMac. And eMachines own product also looked nothing like their own design patents (which was just as well, because the computer in their design patents always reminded me of a teddy bear with big ears).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
196 months ago


Is the Galaxy that much of a threat?

Or is this a warning shot for every tablet maker out there?

the samsung galaxy s2 is probably doing too well for them overseas. but who can blame the customer if they take over 1,5 years to even announce a new iPhone
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
the only thing in MacRumors now is iPhone 5 rumours and apple vs. sangsung rumours
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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