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Samsung wants the iPhone 4S banned in Europe. The Korean company, which makes the Samsung Galaxy S2, has fired off a legal challenge to the newly announced iPhone.
Samsung claims that “Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology“. Them’s fightin’ words!
In the run-up to the Apple announcement, Samsung was poised with a fistful of patents, ready to pounce upon the new iPhone, whatever it turned out to be.
Now that that Apple has announced the iPhone 4S, an upgraded version of the iPhone 4, Samsung has wielded the injunction stick and swung the banhammer down. The two injunction motions have been filed in Paris and Milan today, with more injunctions to follow in other countries “after further review”.
The legal challenge is based around Samsung’s claim that Apple is using technology for which Sammy owns the patents. Patents are like copyright for inventions, and today’s injunctions refer specifically to Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets. Oh, those.
The two companies are locked in knock-down drag-out legal battle, like two giant atomic lizards grappling in mortal mutant combat. Apple claims that Samsung has copied the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad with its Galaxy phones and Galaxy Tab tablets, even down to the packaging and accessories.
Apple managed to get the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 banned with similar injunctions, so Samsung is countering with the patent claims.
The iPhone 4S goes on sale in the UK, US and parts of Europe on 14 October.
