Think that the battle between Apple and Samsung in Australia is over now that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has finally been allowed to go on sale? Think again! At a court hearing in Australia today, Apple mentioned that it has sent a notice of infringement to Samsung over cases for both the Tab 10.1 and the company's smartphones. There was no mention of which products that Apple believes are infringing on its patents. Samsung lawyer Katrina Howard mentioned at the same hearing that Apple's notice claims that the cases in question infringe on at least 10 patents.
The actual hearing that all of this information came out at has to do with a separate case between the two companies. In that case, Samsung is suing Apple over a patent related to 3G tech that Samsung believes is infringed upon by the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2. At the hearing, Apple was trying to convince the judge to delay a trial that's scheduled for March, arguing that it needs more time to gather experts and evidence to defend itself. Unsurprisingly, Samsung opposed the delay, saying that it dropped its chances at getting an injunction at the devices in question in exchange for an early trial and that it would be "severely prejudiced" if the trial were delayed. The judge postponed a decision on Apple's request, scheduling another hearing for February 3rd and telling the companies to continue accumulating evidence and testimonies.
So now we can add another case to the list of lawsuits going on between Apple and Samsung across the globe which, according to Samsung, has now grown to over 30 suits in total. It's kind of tough to get a feel for this latest case right now since it's not clear which products Apple is going after, but more details on the case should be coming soon. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: Samsung has reached out to us to clarify the situation, explaining that Apple's claims don't center on protective case accessories for Samsung products, but rather "the utility of mobile devices and design rights related to the external appearance of devices." The full statement from Samsung is as follows:
"We would like to clarify that the additional claims filed by Apple in Australia do not relate to protective case accessories, as has been indicated in some media reports. In fact, the intellectual property asserted are patents related to the utility of mobile devices and design rights related to the external appearance of devices.
We are confident we can demonstrate that the GALAXY range of devices is innovative and distinctive, and will take all available measures to ensure our products remain available to consumers in Australia."
