• Samsung Demands Apple To Get Access to iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad 3 Devices


    As part of the ongoing lawsuits between Apple and Samsung, started back in April when Apple sued Samsung over the “look and feel” of the Galaxy phones and tablets. This Is My Next points to an interesting piece of information as now Samsung is requesting to see some of Apple’s unreleased final and commercial versions of products . Namely the iPad 3 and the next iPhone, be it iPhone  4S or iPhone 5. This is to ensure and  evaluate if their future products, like the Droid Charge and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, could share similar features with them.

    This move comes after Apple requested to see some of Samsung’s unreleased products, which most of which were publicly released before, Droid Charge, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G and Galaxy S 2. Providing that only Apple legal team will get access to the devices. Similarly now Samsung says only the company’s lawyers would be able to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, with no one else inside the company getting access to the units.

    Samsung’s asking for a court order requiring Apple to produce “the final, commercial versions” of the next-generation iPhone and iPad and their respective packaging by June 13, 2011, so it can evaluate whether there’ll be confusion between Samsung and Apple’s future products. If the final versions aren’t available, Samsung wants “the most current version of each to be produced instead.

    Samsung says “fundamental fairness” requires Apple to give up its future products, since Samsung had to do the same. Tellingly, Samsung doesn’t reference any precedent or law to bolster this line of argument — it’s basically just asking the court to be nice.

    The full breakdown of Samsung’s latest request can be read over This Is My Next

  • Apple Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Look & Feel


    The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has filed a lawsuit against Samsung over the “look and feel” of Samsung’s Galaxy series. The Galaxy series includes the popular Galaxy S smartphone line – Nexus S, Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G – in addition to the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet device.

    Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products, the lawsuit said.

    Samsung supplies many flash components and the basis of Apple’s A4 and A5 processors, Samsung also manufactures RAM modules and display technology for Apple.

    Mobilized has this comment from Apple:

    “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 Mobilized. “This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

  • Apple Did Not Infringe Five Nokia Patents


    Nokia sued Apple in May 2010, claiming the company infringed five of Nokia’s patents. The patents cover wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption and are infringed by all Apple iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, Nokia alleged. Nokia’s statement in May 2010 about the lawsuit:

    Nokia has been the leading developer of many key technologies in mobile devices” said Paul Melin, General Manager, Patent Licensing at Nokia. “We have taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia’s innovation.

    Now, Reuters reports that the International Trade Commision has ruled that Apple in fact did not violate any of Nokia’s patents.

    A judge at the International Trade Commission, which hears many patent cases, said that Apple did not violate the Nokia patents.

  • Apple Sues Amazon over ‘App Store’ Trademark


    Apple filed a lawsuit against Amazon on March 18th over their use of the “App Store” trademark according to some reports by Bloomberg. Amazon has been using the term “App Store” since January as the name for their developer portal. Amazon is also launching an Android web-based App Store.

    Amazon.com since January has started to solicit developers for a future mobile software download service, Apple said. Amazon.com has used “Amazon Appstore Developer Portal” and “Amazon Appstore” in connection with this service, according to the complaint.

    The lawsuit also covers some “unspecified damages” and Amazon is yet to comment on the lawsuit. For those interested in the case, the official title is Apple v. Amazon.com, 11-1327, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.

    Apple, of course, created their mobile application store in 2008 called the “App Store.” Apple also has had the “Mac App Store” term since October 2010, with the store launching January 6, 2011.