Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that the legal rift between Apple, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. widened when Apple filed a complaint seeking to block imports of Samsung Galaxy S mobile phones and Galaxy Tab computers for alleged patent infringement. Apple claims that Samsung is infringing on seven of its patents related to the technology and design of the devices. Apple filed its first complaint against Samsung in April, but the current salvo is a counter to a similar complaint filed last week by Samsung, who sought to ban imports of Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The ferocity of the legal battle between the two companies is surprising given the fact that Samsung supplies computer chips for some Apple devices. Although Apple does not normally license its intellectual property, analyst Brian Marshall, with Gleacher & Co. in San Francisco, feels that they may have no choice in this case because Samsung owns a number of patents that Apple may need.
Analysts are not surprised at Apple’s litigation strategy, as the company continues its effort to hold on to what once was a dominant market share in the mobile-device arena. Android is now the most popular mobile-device operating system, with 38.1 percent of the market share, ahead of Apple’s iOS, which accounts for 26.6 percent of the market. In a similar trend, Samsung secured 4,518 patents last year, while Apple secured just 563. The new civil case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and although Apple requested a quick trial, Samsung countered by claiming that Apple is “attempting to create an emergency where none exists.” Given the fierce competition in the mobile-based market and the rise of tablet-style devices from manufacturers such as Samsung and BlackBerry, the litigation associated with the intellectual property behind such devices is likely to increase.