Apple has set its legal dogs loose on Samsung, directly accusing the Korean company of ripping off its iPhone and iPad designs -- and issuing a lawsuit to that effect.
Samsung supplies some key iPhone and iPad components, building both Apple's A4 and A5 processors. Regardless, Apple's lawsuit makes it crystal clear it reckons Samsung's Galaxy Tab looks and feels just a little too similar to its own iProducts.
Apple filed the scorching suit in US District Court in Northern California on Friday, alleging "patent and trademark infringement, as well as unfair competition", according to AllThingsD's Mobilized blog. Author Ina Fried reckons Apple is also requesting injunctions and claiming both actual and punitive damages.
Fried says Apple's suit, which she has seen, contains "harsh words" and side-by-side comparisons of Samsung and Apple products to support the claim that Samsung's Galaxy Tab "slavishly copies a combination of several elements of the Apple Product Configuration Trade Dress".
An unnamed Apple representative told the blog that Apple believes 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". The unidentified Apple employee goes on to say, "This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."
We asked Apple if that's what it really thinks, but have yet to receive a response.
Samsung, on the other hand, told us it would "respond actively" to Apple's legal action and the "development of core technologies and strengthening its intellectual property portfolio" were key to its success.
The long and short of it is that Apple's lawyers think Samsung's recent products borrow rather too much from Apple designs. And we imagine plenty of people would agree: take a look at our review of the Samsung Galaxy Ace, where we say the new handset looks "an awful lot like the iPhone 4".
What do you think? Does Apple have a point? Or is a black rectangle with some buttons too generic a design to have dibs on? Share your patended thoughts in the comments section.
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Comments 21
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Anonymous 19 April, 2011 13:57
Pissing off a supplier who you rely on for your products is a pretty stupid idea
anonymous 19 April, 2011 14:18
But then the supplier depends on Apple for quite a lot money
anonymous 19 April, 2011 14:22
And I would imagine Samsung's Manufacturing Company is run separately to the Phone company. So they aren't really that closely related
skapete 19 April, 2011 14:34
From what it seems like at the moment, there plenty of other customers who could buy up Samsung's components if they abandoned Apple. If I were Samsung, I'd really annoy Apple and simply stop supplying them stuff. Apple are reliant on any non-Japanese company at the moment so kick em where it hurts!
anonymous 19 April, 2011 14:38
When compared to the iPhone, the Samsung does look similar. But is should also be noted that there is a lot apps on the Android market that will change the 'desktop' and 'draw' interfaces to any design you want... free or paid apps. LiveHome is such an app, and one of the themes has allowed my HTC desire Hd to resemble the iphone interface... down to the draw, lower frame and even the animations. Granted the desire doesn't have the apple push button, but one could argue that the similarity could warrant a law suit. Yet there is no action, nor will there be... because this is developed by a single, non threatening developer.
Apple are, with so many patants, obviously attempting to monopolize areas of the market like all such companies - Microsoft. The actuality is that all mobile phones have their own merits, and the Apple interface is the most popular. Samsung in this case have tried to mimic the interface... not because it they don't have their own ideas... but because they are improving upon and tried and tested interface... much like the menu systems and tool bars you find on windows computers... it has been done so that users recognise the interface and will find it easier to use - this is basic hci principles.
Anonymous 19 April, 2011 14:54
Thanks Michael.
Thichael.
Anonymous 19 April, 2011 14:56
It doesn't matter who they're run by - same parent company owns both divisions
At the end of the day, the majority of Samsungs income doesn't come from selling chips to Apple. If they turn round and say drop the lawsuit or find another manufacturer it will seriously harm Apples profits for the year, it would take months to find another chip manufacturer and tool up for production
Apple have zero chance of making this stick, its all about trying to slow Samsung down.. same as every other phone-related lawsuit currently in progress
anonymous 19 April, 2011 16:02
Why don't they sue the people who make the Sciphone, Tiphone, ePad , aPad and all those countless iPod rip-offs then! The Samsung products may look similar (apart from the galaxy tab in my opinion) but at least they haven't ripped them off completely!
skapete 19 April, 2011 17:38
Realistically, how different can a phone which is a thin slab with a big screen and some buttons look? Apple shouldn't have been awarded this patent in the first place.
Anonymous 19 April, 2011 19:32
Anyone remember when Apple tried to sue Microsoft for stealing their GUI? This is a much weaker version of that. And the results will be similar.
Anonymous 20 April, 2011 10:54
This is foolish, apple are gooing to loose their chip suplier and be beached for weeks! They wont be able to sell products outside current stock and people will loose interest. Meanwhile, someone like htc or samsung will come out with the be all and end all devices in both the tablet and phone markets, and apple shall die! They seriously are morons, you dont bite the hand that feeds you. That phone design is so vague, anyone could be accused of replicating it! Plus, michael; android is the most popular interface in the world. Not ios. Who are they going to sue next? Intel?!?! Morons...
skapete 20 April, 2011 11:58
The downfall of Apple continues. Maybe all this 2012 end of the world stuff is just a sign for Apple!
billfred 21 April, 2011 10:18
"The downfall of Apple continues."
Yeah the worlds second most expensive by share company is suffering a "downfall" ....
Doesn't anyone realise that everyone is suing everyone in the tech industry just to try and slow each other down?!
anonymous 22 April, 2011 17:46
apple just die already -.- apple sues everyone it never works
anonymous 23 April, 2011 15:27
These articles about apple suing have stopped surprising me long ago...
Anonymous 24 May, 2011 17:32
Grow up @ Apple.
Anonymous 27 May, 2011 04:18
All you retards don't realize that there are other chip manufacturers. Apple can simply go somewhere else to get it's chips. The Apple demand can, in Italy's, make a company.
Anonymous 27 May, 2011 04:21
Stupid spell check! "in itself".
Contract work is super-low margin stuff.
Anonymous 6 June, 2011 05:29
Once you turn the phones on they are light years apart. one works to your needs. the other the way it was made.
anonymous 22 December, 2011 13:24
Once a design or idea is on the open market and we get used to it it's easy to forget the concept, R&D work and not to mention the risk of putting a new idea out there. So when someone comes along and says, "i like that, let's make one using a very similar design" It's hardly surprising Apple get the hump.
ampost 7 April, 2012 00:00
I've enjoyed using android devices (and have several). Recently though I started using apple products (and am very impressed by their ease of use). I look at the Samsung Galaxy Tab and I am astonished at how much it looks like an ipad. Sony meanwhile goes for stylish tablets that look different as do several other companies. As I looked a bit further it does look very much like Samsung has decided to copy Apple's marketing strategy, as well as mimic apple products. Samsung does do other products (shame the Note is a bit sluggish at times- I would have got one otherwise). As a customer I like to get the best products at the best price-but Samsung- why on earth do you have to copy the iPad etc- surely you can use your imagination as you have elsewhere?