Would you be surprised if I said Apple is trying to sue Samsung over their Galaxy Note 10.1? No? Didn’t think so. Apple told a judge in California that Samsung infringes patents on the Samsung Note 10.1, and even wanted to add Android 4.1 into that lawsuit. Now, to be fair, this is in reaction to Samsung suing Apple over LTE patents in the iPhone 5, but even after Samsung is making clear strides to differentiate their phones and tablets from Apple’s products, Apple still continues to litigate.
On October 1st, Judge Lucy Koh rescinded a ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 declaring there were no grounds for the injunction after jurors ruled on August 24th that Samsung did not infringe the Apple design patent that was the basis of the injunction. Apple, naturally, objected, claiming that the Tab should remain banned as it was found guilty of other patent infringements. Regardless, the ban was, and still is, lifted.
Fast forward a few months, and now Apple seeks to add several new Samsung products to its list of infringing devices on the basis that they are capable of using a stylus. Now, maybe I’m taking this the wrong way, but I think Apple is starting to sue Samsung over things that the iPhone and iPad don’t do. In addition to that, they’re adding lawsuits over Jelly Bean, which technically isn’t even Samsung’s product. Just when you think it couldn’t get any more crazy, Apple pulls a move like this.
This trial isn’t set to take place until 2014, so it’s very doubtful that this will actually impact any sales. And in a win for common sense, Judge Grewel declined to make any preliminary rulings on the case for fear of either company filing another round of lawsuits. Not a bad move; anything to slow down the constant lawsuits is a good thing.
source: Bloomberg
