apple samsung logos
Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed a new lawsuit in Germany against Samsung, seeking to ban sales of ten different smartphone models over alleged design infringement.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) filed another suit in Germany, seeking to ban sales of Samsung Electronics (005930) Co.’s smartphone models, including the Galaxy S Plus and the S II.

The suit targeting 10 smartphones was filed in the Dusseldorf Regional Court and is based on Apple design rights Apple in Europe, court spokesman Peter Schuetz said via phone today. Apple also started a separate suit against five Samsung tablet computer models related to a September ruling banning the Galaxy 10.1., he said.

Germany has already been the site of a significant amount of legal action between Apple and Samsung, with Apple winning an injunction barring the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in that country. Samsung has apparently circumvented that injunction with the release of a design-tweaked Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the German market, although Apple continues to press forward with its legal efforts against Samsung's tablets.

Top Rated Comments

samcraig Avatar
173 months ago
You can't easily litigate against the same entity you are shamelessly ripping off.

This is why Samsung has consistently been on the defensive, while what few of their attacks against Apple have been half-hearted at best.

They even admitted their guilt:

You have it completely wrong and are stuck in your reality distortion field.

A) they haven't admitted they've copied Apple. Nothing in that cut/paste job you did even suggests that.

B) IP and patents are so vast and complicated that it is EXTREMELY easy to overlap or unknowingly use or create something that has already been patented. Especially since language to too vague.

C) Even if they WERE aware - they might have every intention of challenging patents for being too vague and/or what they seem as not worthy of being patented

D) They haven't admitted to guilt for what YOU think they've admitted to. You seem to think they are admitting that they copy Apple. No - they've admitted nothing of the sort. They've admitted that there have been instances where their products have seemingly used technology that has been patented and that they take THOSE items seriously.

How is this bad? How is a company taking patent offenses seriously a bad thing? Would you prefer they issue statements stating they don't give a crap and Apple can kiss their butts?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dr McKay Avatar
173 months ago
Apple is pretty committed. Nice to see them keeping up the pressure and consistently following through on their claims.

And yet if this was Samsung suing Apple, you'd be spouting your usual "Those who can't innovate, litigate".
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reefoid Avatar
173 months ago
You can't easily litigate against the same entity you are shamelessly ripping off.

This is why Samsung has consistently been on the defensive, while what few of their attacks against Apple have been half-hearted at best.

They even admitted their guilt:

The only reason Samsung has been on the offensive is because Apple keep chasing them, usually on very spurious claims. How many of Apple's claims have actually been proven? Very few. As they say, throw enough **** and some of it will stick. And Apple certainly seem to enjoy throwing lots of **** around.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danahn17 Avatar
173 months ago
Again? Well since this is like a weekly event now, here's a summary of what always seems to happen:

Apple sues Samsung:
- Apple: :)
- Samsung: :mad:
- Lawyers: :D:D:D
- LTD : :D:D:D:D

Samsung sues Apple:
- Apple: :mad:
- Samsung: :)
- Lawyers : :D:D:D
- LTD : :eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
173 months ago
Apple seems to be doing both, actually: innovating and litigating. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Look at what Siri has done to the industry, for instance. Look at all the interesting (and timely, such interesting timing!) industry news following Siri. Again, Siri happens to be on an Apple product.

Besides that, take a good look at what went on at CES. Apple's influence is palpable - the MacBook Air situation being just one example. It's interesting that the biggest player at CES wasn't even there. Never mind Apple's current innovations, the industry can barely keep up with Apple's past innovations. THe iPhone 3GS, for instance, still outsells a lot of newer Android models.

The industry is following almost in lock-step with Apple, and are apparently using Apple's R&D department quite liberally. I'll grant that to some degree Apple probably feels quite flattered. But at some point that has to be put aside and a real look has to be taken at the material (and brand-related) ramifications of allowing some (or in this case, one) of the biggest thieves in the industry to operate unfettered.

Again - that's your version of the reality distortion field.

Laptops have always been striving to be thinner, lighter and have more power. Nothing new there.

Monitor resolution has always been one of the improvements with each new screen over the years. Nothing new there.

Voice recognition and AI is also nothing new and the industry has had it for years. Nothing new there.

I am not saying Apple doesn't pioneer nor do they not innovate. But unlike you, I can at least acknowledge that the rest of the industry isn't always FOLLOWING Apple as if they are looking at what Apple is doing and copying. More often than not - companies are following the natural progression of technology.

It's the age-old battle - is it better to be first or is it better to have the better product.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reefoid Avatar
173 months ago
Apple might very well win an injunction again. It costs Apple very little to keep this going, both in terms of resources and in terms of consumer mindshare. It's in their best interests to keep subjecting Samsung's IP and their design decisions to legal tests.

We already know the way Samsung plays the game. They're rip-off artists par excellence. It would be silly to let them get away with it.

But the injunction last time meant nothing, Samsung got round it by supplying from non-German sources as the court only had authority to issue an injunction against Samsung Germany.

So what, exactly, is the point of this? It doesn't ultimately stop any sales. Samsung just get on with their business and Apple look like more and more like a litigation company. I can see in 20 years time Apple being a law firm rather than a tech firm:rolleyes:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...