By Ian Sherr
Apple Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers, the latest in a series of legal skirmishes that underscore the increasingly high stakes of the mobile computing market.
The lawsuit, filed on April 15, alleged that Samsung’s smartphones, including the “Galaxy S 4G,” “Epic 4G,” “Nexus S” and its “Galaxy Tab” touchscreen tablet, violate Apple’s intellectual property. The 38-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. court’s northern California district.
“Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,” Apple said in the filing.
A Samsung representative said the company’s development of core technology and intellectual property were key to its continued success.
“Samsung will respond actively to this legal action taken against us through appropriate legal measures to protect our intellectual property,” said Kim Titus, a Richardson, Texas-based spokesman for the company’s telecommunications unit.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles among technology giants following the rapid sales growth of smartphones and touchscreen tablet computers. Apple has become the object of many lawsuits from numerous companies, including Eastman Kodak Co. and Nokia Corp., that claim the consumer electronics giant violated their intellectual property in its hit products. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has also filed lawsuits against competitors, such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
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(Published April 18, 2011, in The Wall Street Journal.)