Apple-Samsung ties not in jeopardy
The suit filed last week in a California federal court accuses Samsung, in its smartphones and Galaxy Tab tablet, of copying the appearance of Apple's iPhone and iPad, for which another arm of the South Korean manufacturer supplies chips and storage.
But Apple has locked in long-term supply deals with Samsung and neither side would benefit from breaking that connection.
The Korea Times notes that Samsung is the latest among a growing list of technology companies to get entangled in Apple's web of patent litigation.
Nokia, Motorola and HTC are other mobile device makers that are embroiled in legal battles with Apple over technologies related to smartphones and software.
The lawsuits trickle beyond electronics makers, as Apple has sued or has been sued by Microsoft, Amazon and Eastman Kodak over a variety of products and services.
Industry observers say Apple's lawsuit against Samsung displays the company's growing uneasiness about its strengths in mobile devices and online content stores beginning to be duplicated for products that run on Google's Android mobile operating system.
However, Samsung is a major patent holder. Bloomberg quotes a Samsung spokesman as saying “Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against” the Korean company, writes Everytiq.
The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) reports that another Samsung spokesman said over the phone that they believe, “Apple has violated [Samsung] patents in communications standards” and that Samsung is “considering a counterclaim.”
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