Samsung Brings Patent Lawsuit Against Apple to U.S.

One of the patents:
Mobile telephone capable of displaying world time and method for controlling the same

An apparatus and method for calculating and displaying local time for a plurality of cities in the world. The apparatus includes a memory for storing Greenwich mean time (GMT) information for each of the plurality of cities. The apparatus sets a reference time and counts the time that elapses from when the reference time is set. The apparatus calculates a local time of a city selected by a user, which is based on a difference between the GMT of the selected city and the GMT of a present location of the apparatus, the reference time and the counted elapsed time. The reference time may be either a time set by the user or a system time acquired from a signal generated from a remote system.
How can companies get patents for such trivial algorithms???

3-5 years in the future, before either side's claims get to trial, FT, IBJ, and WSJ will be reporting on an out-of-court settlement with undisclosed terms.

World War Sue.

Apple has something like 200+ patents (http://www.mad4mobilephones.com/the-21-most-important-iphone-patents/562/) for the iPhone. This could get bloody when Apple responds with additional counter suits. I would pity those called for jury duty to make sense of the technical minutia. The breadth of the patent portfolios will be too detailed to battle in court. They are presented primarily as a way of saying "back off!" Ultimately, cross licensing agreements are forged.

Its funny how Apple is suing for specific design and UI infringements, but Samsung seems to be countersuing for generic items that could possibly not be invented by them.

They are countering with software implementations to hardware, but they don't own the OS so how is Apple use of internal API's, coding, etc. impeding on Samsung's patents?:confused:

Sounds like Samsung is grabbing at straws hoping to get a short one!:eek:

I like both companies personally. My electronics are split between Apple and Samsung and all of my appliances are Samsung. Sammy is definitely knocking of Apple though. I thought so ever since I saw their portable computer line that looks just like MacBook Pros.:cool:

But really, I'm embarrased for Apple & Samsung for these pathetic lawsuits they keep bringing against each other. Money, money, money!

Why? The law requires an rights owner to defend its IP or risk losing it. These suits are just business, no hard feelings, as seen by Apple's monster-sized component contract w/ Samsung. Any yes, business is about making money.

Why? The law requires an rights owner to defend its IP or risk losing it. These suits are just business, no hard feelings, as seen by Apple's monster-sized component contract w/ Samsung. Any yes, business is about making money.

Every time there's a patent or copyright article and people go off the deep end calling these companies crazy/evil, etc, I wish the article would indicate the fact that they are actually required to do so or risk losing their patent/trademarks. Doesn't even matter if they want to or not.

I agree with most comments, the claims by Samsung seem a stretch. I live in Korea and the Koreans are very loyal to local suppliers and Samsung is not happy with how successful the iPhone is in Korea. Even the local prefer the iPhone over the Samsung phones in Korea. After living here a few years I will never buy Korean products again. They are great at copying, and keeping it all within the country even if it increases cost. I hope Apple succeed in finding other suppliers but I think so many companies have helped Samsung get to big and dominant so it will be hard to find memory and cpu suppliers other than Samsung.

I have used Samsung phones in Korea, they are not great - My Nokia was way better than every Samsung phone I ever had. Samsung phones JUST work, they do not perform. My new iPhone looks better, performs (speed and application wise) better than the Samsung phones I have owned but it drops more calls. Here's an example of how much Koreans refuse to accept Apple, You cannot use a Mac in Korea and do internet shopping or banking. Every website requires a special active X control that only works in IE.

Even in Korea the locals know Samsung copied Apple, when you go to electronics markets the sales people try sell Samsung products saying its "just like Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod and its Korean made so its better"

I really hope Samsung get burnt on this one.

Looks like Apple picked on the wrong company. Give em' a bloody nose Sammy.

You spend a lot of time here trashing Apple. Care to share why you stick around? Seems like a waste of time for you.

Yeah not going to hurt samgsung on bit.

Apple needs Samsung more than Samsung needs Apple.
Reason being is the parts Samsung is supply there is already a shortage of them on the market. Apple drops them all Samsung does is go to the next guy and more than likely for more money.

Apple on the other hand will struggle to find a new supplier.

Don't be daft, Samsung are the suppliers because they gave the best price.

Samsung will also be locked into supply contracts anyway, and they interfered with them, Samsung would be in a world of hurt, not just from Apple and litigation, but every other company they supply.

And don't you believe there aren't alternatives for Apples component supplies either - every company that can build something that Samsung already does has been on the phone this week to Apple.

The end result in all of this is that Samsung are putting at risk an $8bn turnover for copying a customers phone design.

Even if Samsung win any of these suits, Samsung will lose the $8bn turnover, and will hand their component rivals the same amount.

The question at the end of the day is whether the Galaxy/Tab/S/S2 are really worth $8bn a year - which they aren't.

So who loses? Samsung every time.

Heres the clue - never sue your customer.

Absolutely correct

completely agree with you on this..

Samsung to sue Apple over the iPhone.....ha ha ha....Yeah because the Galaxy phones are so original?? WTF You dont have to be a brain surgeon to see the blatant copy Samsung has done of the iPhone.
Apple = Innovation
Samsung = Copyware