Last week, we noted that as part of its case seeking to have sales of the iPhone 4S banned in Australia, Samsung had requested access to both the iPhone 4S source code and Apple's agreements with the country's wireless carriers. Samsung's interest in the carrier contracts related to device subsidies, with the company curious about whether the amount of subsidies paid to Apple by the carriers might be resulting in anti-competitive behavior.
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Bloomberg now reports that the judge in the case has sided with Samsung on the carrier contract issue, ordering Apple to turn over copies of its agreements to Samsung. Apple had objected to Samsung's request, calling it a "fishing expedition" by Samsung without a specific target relevant to the case.
[Australia Federal Court Justice Annabelle] Bennett ruled the contracts with the phone operators are relevant to Samsung’s case. Apple said it would oppose the disclosure and suggested it was a speculative effort to find damaging information.
“We will resist any attempts by our friends to push us into a corner” on the subsidies, Apple’s lawyer Andrew Fox told the judge. “This is quite clearly a fishing expedition.”
Bennett declined to rule on Samsung's source code request at this time, noting that she will address the issue on November 11th unless Apple and Samsung reach an agreement on their own before then.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)If Apple thought that suing a giant like Samsung would not cause any kind of repercussions, they were highly mistaken.
Maybe they thought it would be a slam dunk if they could get the case in a court run by a judge who's married to a partner of the firm they hired to represent them:https://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=13827537&postcount=151
Samsung just got totally insane... This makes no sense. Maybe they want to copy the whole UI...
Uh ? What are you smoking ? The source code they asked for is for the radio driver to access the Broadcom/Qualcomm communication chip Apple is using for cellular voice/data/wifi. Samsung holds patents on some methods of accessing these chips and needs to ascertain if Apple is infringing on those patents or not.
Where did you get "copying the UI" out of that ? :rolleyes:
Did you not read the news 3 months ago when Apple forced the court to ban sales of Galaxy Tabs in Australia?Hand over source code. To me that sounds like anti-competitive behavior.
Every day I dislike Samsung more and more.
If Apple thought that suing a giant like Samsung would not cause any kind of repercussions, they were highly mistaken. Samsung is not a small company. If you are going to sue them, you better make sure you are ready to defend, because they will attack you with all guns.
This SUCKS!! Today news is horrendous:
1. Apple Required to Reveal Australian Carrier Cintracts to Samsung
2. iPhone 4S orders cut in Q4
3. Kindle Fire Seen Slowing Some Previously Planned iPad Purchases
1. But not having to reveal source code
2. iPhone 4S orders not really cut (see update -- all sell-through tracking is showing this is not the case and Apple may be trying to manipulate the price of components)
3. Kindle Fire killing "planned purchases" of iPad (i.e.: folks who were planning to buy an iPad, but had not because it was too expensive, opted for a $200 Kindle Fire -- imagine that)
4. Did you notice that Adobe stopped making Mobile Flash?
This SUCKS!! Today news is horrendous:
1. Apple Required to Reveal Australian Carrier Cintracts to Samsung
2. iPhone 4S orders cut in Q4
3. Kindle Fire Seen Slowing Some Previously Planned iPad Purchases
Not quite....
1. Adobe Discontinues Development of Flash Player on Mobile Devices (vindication for Jobs)
2. Apple Jumps to Fourth in Greenpeace's Environmental Rankings of Electronics Companies
:) :D