Apple Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Samsung Over its Galaxy Series of Phones and Tablets

The history of the smartphone has been one of extremely rapid advances in technologies and usability. But this story of progress has also been peppered with an endless stream of legal actions between rival manufacturers and developers, each claiming infringements on their respective patents.

In the latest in this series of lawsuits, Apple has accused Samsung of  patent and trademark infringement, as well as unfair competition, for its Galaxy Series of phones and tablets. The suit, filed on 4/15 in U.S. Court, Northern District of California, alleges that Samsungs devices copies the “look and feel” of Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” an Apple representative told Ina Fried of All Things Digital. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

The suit lists numerous patents which Apple claims that Samsung has copied. These include the design of their icons, shape of the hardware, and even “trade dress” (legalese for “looks the same”).

This One Will Get Interesting

We’ve seen plenty of patent-related legal filings in the mobile world, but this one could get particularly sticky. Samsung is not only a rival of Apple’s in the smartphone arena, but they are also a major supplier of a number of components of Apple’s mobiles products, as well as major parts of its computers, including CPUs and memory.

Visual Aids – Side By Side Comparison

The lawsuit also includes a number of pictures, juxtaposing Apple’s patent filings with photos of Samsungs devices. Are they similar enough to warrant legal action? Or is Apple simply practicing what seems to be the rising method of competition – thwarting one’s rivals through the court system rather than the market. Your thoughts?