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Nope, these patent lawsuits aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
The latest comes from Apple, which filed a lawsuit this week against Samsung Electronics in Germany. Apple is seeking to ban the sale of Samsung smartphones in the country, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The lawsuit is part of a broader legal war between Apple and Android partners, with Samsung being a particularly fierce opponent. The companies have multiple lawsuits filed against each other in numerous countries and courtrooms around the world.
A spokesman for Samsung wasn’t available to comment to CNET on the newest lawsuit.
The lawsuit follows up on Apple’s attempt to seek a ban on Samsung’s tablet products. Last month, the company argued that at least 10 of its patents were being violated by Samsung in Australia. That followed a lawsuit filed in Germany by Samsung alleging four infringed patents of its own, including one involving an emoticon.
Despite some initial rulings that have gone Apple’s way, it has seen its share of setbacks recently. Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that Motorola’s smartphones do not violate Apple’s patents, a blow to its legal offensive against Android.
The two companies are playing this high stakes game of legal chicken in an attempt to gain the upper hand in a potential discussion over a licensing agreement. They are both hoping to be the first to score a decisive ban in one of the countries–preferably a major market such as the U.S.–which would hasten the need for the two to come together and strike a resolution.
In the meantime, the companies will continue to up the ante and continue filing lawsuits against each other.
