As the two market leaders in the smartphone industry, Apple and Samsung remain locked in a number of legal battles in courtrooms around the world. Last week, we reported that Apple took Motorola to court in Germany, after accusing its rival of copyright infringement with its slide to unlock feature, however courts ruled against Apple, invalidating its patent in Germany.
Recently, Apple has once again been in court in Germany, after its arch rival Samsung has been trying to secure injunctions against Apple products which utilise the same 3G technology, claiming that the California based manufacturer has infringed on its patent.
However, this time around Apple has had better luck, with courts ruling in Apple’s favour and invalidated part of Samsung’s patent in Germany (details at Apple Insider). This means that the technology can be used by other manufacturers in Germany as a result. Of course, this news is the latest development in the ongoing legal feud between the two biggest players in the global smartphone industry, as they battle for dominance in a highly competitive market. Visit our website for the latest iPhone 5 news and iPhone 5 contract deals.
It appears that the legal rivalry between Apple and Samsung will not be slowing down any time soon. It seems that every month there is another court case between the two manufacturers, and as a result it has been reported that Apple will be looking elsewhere for supply of processors for its next generation iPhone.
Of course, most infamous legal dispute between the two companies took place last year, where US courts ruled in Apple’s favour after accusations of copyright infringement, ordering Samsung to pay Apple over one billion dollars in damages.
Obviously, the upcoming launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and rumoured release of an iPhone 5S later this year means that we are likely to see many more disputes between the two companies.
Has the legal rivalry between Samsung and Apple gone too far, or is it in both companies’ interests to pursue legal disputes given the stakes in the lucrative smartphone business? Have your say in the comments section.
