Apple Sues Samsung

Apple Inc.’s newest lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co., set for a hearing May 2, increases the number of Samsung devices that Apple argues infringe its products.

Apple seeks a court order blocking the alleged infringement in smartphones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S II Skyrocket and Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, which use Google Inc.’s Android operating system, and Samsung’s Galaxy 4.0 and 5.0 media players.

In December, Apple lost a similar request for a court order blocking sales of Samsung’s 4G smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer. Trial for that case is set for July 30.

“Despite that lawsuit, Samsung has continued to flood the market with copycat products, including at least 18 new infringing products released over the last eight months,” according to the complaint filed Feb. 8 in federal court in San Jose, California.

“Samsung has systematically copied Apple’s innovative technology and products, features, and designs, and has deluged markets with infringing devices in an effort to usurp market share from Apple,” according to the complaint.

Samsung’s newer products infringe patents at issue on the previous case as well as additional patents Apple issued since the earlier case was filed, Apple said. “Apple is filing this suit to put an end to Samsung’s continued infringement,” according to the complaint.

30 Lawsuits

Samsung continues to “assert our intellectual property rights and defend against Apple’s claims,” its Seoul-based spokesman Nam Ki Yung said today.

The two companies have filed at least 30 lawsuits against each other, according to Samsung. The conflict began in April, when Apple filed the first San Jose lawsuit claiming the Suwon, South Korean company’s Galaxy devices copied the iPhone and iPad.

The case is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.,12- cv-00630, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose). The previous case is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 11-01846, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose).