Samsung Strikes Back, Seeks to Ban the Sale of Apple Products in the United States

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

http://phandroid.com/2011/06/30/sam...-sale-of-apple-products-in-the-united-states/

A bit more insight into the matter. Bloomberg is reporting that Samsung filed with the International Trade Commission a lawsuit that would seek to ban the import of Apple products. While this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be banned from store shelves, that’s essentially what would happen. Samsung filed another lawsuit in Delaware claiming that Apple is the kettle calling the pot black, stating to a federal court that "Apple has copied many of Samsung’s innovations in its Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad products.” Many industry experts believe Samsung’s goal is to cross-license technology with Apple to end this legal battle and avoid many more like it in the future.

wow, sounds a bit... desperate. Now imagine if this had been the other way around? I bet the first response would have been some Apple troll bait.

but honestly this is probably just a show of force.

 

[Bateluer]

I doubt it'll happen. Apple ripped off Samsung's designs, Samsung ripped off Apple designs. Both companies have billions of dollars in revenue, they can each afford an army of lawyers, and their products sell like hot cakes.

 

[Phynaz]

Standard negotiating tactic. Nothing to see here.

 

[kubani1]

i love it, a corporate big dick fight to make wealthy lawyers lots more money.

 

[theeedude]

Good time to be a patent lawyer.

 

[tonygeor]

nice try samsung

 

[preslove]

It was stupid for Apple to start the patent war. Samsung is merely retaliating. Neither should be suing the other. Our patent system is parasitizing the gadget market with all this litigation and will end up causing distortions in the market when a settlement/decision is reached.

 

[MotF Bane]

Well, that's bold.

 

[WelshBloke]

Standard negotiating tactic. Nothing to see here.

That

Good time to be a patent lawyer.

This

... Neither should be suing the other. Our patent system is parasitizing the gadget market with all this litigation and will end up causing distortions in the market when a settlement/decision is reached.

And also that.

 

[Oyeve]

Good time to be a patent lawyer.

True, kept Atari wealthy for 20 years. Shit, Atari didnt make a damn thing for at least 10 years and still made money. They patented every single thing they ever did and and years later, when they were pretty much dead and never coming back, they pretty much sued every tech company at the time because every one of them had something that Atari invented or thought up at some point.

Hell, they invented 3D gaming:

Electronic game apparatus using a three-dimensional
image

United States Patent 4,421,317

Inventors: Hector; Roger D. (San Jose, CA); Jenkins,
Jr.; Harry H. (Menlo Park, CA).
Assignee: Atari, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA).
Appl. No.: 222,839
Filed: Jan. 6, 1981

Abstract

An electronic game includes a base having an opening;
at least one three-dimensional image stored on a plate,
typically a hologram; a light source for each image; a
microcomputer; and player controls. Illumination of the
plate by the light source projects a three-dimensional
image seen during play of the game. In some versions
light emitting diodes are provided to supplement the
three-dimensional image being displayed.

 

[GrumpyMan]

True, kept Atari wealthy for 20 years. Shit, Atari didnt make a damn thing for at least 10 years and still made money. They patented every single thing they ever did and and years later, when they were pretty much dead and never coming back, they pretty much sued every tech company at the time because every one of them had something that Atari invented or thought up at some point.

Hell, they invented 3D gaming:

Electronic game apparatus using a three-dimensional
image

United States Patent 4,421,317

Inventors: Hector; Roger D. (San Jose, CA); Jenkins,
Jr.; Harry H. (Menlo Park, CA).
Assignee: Atari, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA).
Appl. No.: 222,839
Filed: Jan. 6, 1981

Abstract

An electronic game includes a base having an opening;
at least one three-dimensional image stored on a plate,
typically a hologram; a light source for each image; a
microcomputer; and player controls. Illumination of the
plate by the light source projects a three-dimensional
image seen during play of the game. In some versions
light emitting diodes are provided to supplement the
three-dimensional image being displayed.

Sounds like the Rambus lawsuits a couple of years back.

 

[pm]

It is a standard move in patent infringement cases.

I personally think that the long-term ramifications for Apple and Samsung are the most interesting part of this. Apple is one of Samsung's biggest customers. The most significant components in iPads, iPhones and other iDevices all use lots of Samsung chips. I have to wonder how this litigation will affect the companies' long-term relationship - particularly since Steve Jobs is normally not the forgive-and-forget type.

It was stupid for Apple to start the patent war. Samsung is merely retaliating. Neither should be suing the other. Our patent system is parasitizing the gadget market with all this litigation and will end up causing distortions in the market when a settlement/decision is reached.

On the plus side, the house passed a patent reform bill a few days ago.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/231023/us_house_of_representatives_approves_patent_reform_bill.html
We had a meeting with our local congressional representative (Cory Gardner) about it yesterday and discussed this. By the way, that something that I highly recommend people do - if you feel strongly about something, don't just post it on Anandtech, instead send a mail or email or call your congressman - or ask to meet with them... that's what they are there for.

 

[Bateluer]

It is a standard move in patent infringement cases.

I personally think that the long-term ramifications for Apple and Samsung are the most interesting part of this. Apple is one of Samsung's biggest customers. The most significant components in iPads, iPhones and other iDevices all use lots of Samsung chips. I have to wonder how this litigation will affect the companies' long-term relationship - particularly since Steve Jobs is normally not the forgive-and-forget type.

Samsung will be fine. It'll hurt Apple more if Samsung cuts them off.

 

[Icepick]

It was stupid for Apple to start the patent war. Samsung is merely retaliating. Neither should be suing the other. Our patent system is parasitizing the gadget market with all this litigation and will end up causing distortions in the market when a settlement/decision is reached.

This.

 

[Anubis]

Samsung will be fine. It'll hurt Apple more if Samsung cuts them off.

pretty sure apple already said they were moving to someone else for the chips for the ipa3 and next iphone

it was on engadget the other day

 

[Strk]

pretty sure apple already said they were moving to someone else for the chips for the ipa3 and next iphone

it was on engadget the other day

There are only so many companies will such manufacturing capabilities though. Hell, look at the Ipad2. The screen had issues. Who did Apple go to to produce the new screen?

 

[the DRIZZLE]

It was stupid for Apple to start the patent war. Samsung is merely retaliating. Neither should be suing the other. Our patent system is parasitizing the gadget market with all this litigation and will end up causing distortions in the market when a settlement/decision is reached.

Normally I'm against the litigious nonsense surrounding technology patents, but Samsung does blatantly rip off Apple.

 

[kubani1]

Samsung will be fine. It'll hurt Apple more if Samsung cuts them off.

no, it is gonna hurt samsung a lot more, apple is a samsung customer and apple produces a ton of shit with all there IOS this and that. if apple leaves, that is a huge sum of money that samsung will not get, apple may have to pay slightly more somewhere else, but samsung will be at a loss, not apple.

 

[Phynaz]

Apple is Samsung's biggest customer.

Fixed that for you

 

[kubani1]

Fixed that for you

true

 

[Pliablemoose]

Gonna be interesting to watch this play out...

 

[pm]

Fixed that for you

True. Thanks. I didn't know that.

That makes the whole story even more weird though.

 

[quikah]

True, kept Atari wealthy for 20 years. Shit, Atari didnt make a damn thing for at least 10 years and still made money. They patented every single thing they ever did and and years later, when they were pretty much dead and never coming back, they pretty much sued every tech company at the time because every one of them had something that Atari invented or thought up at some point.

Hell, they invented 3D gaming:
...

That patent is for this:

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/dedicated/cosmos/cosmos.html

I doubt they have sued anyone with that patent, but i don't know.

 

[zerocool84]

no, it is gonna hurt samsung a lot more, apple is a samsung customer and apple produces a ton of shit with all there IOS this and that. if apple leaves, that is a huge sum of money that samsung will not get, apple may have to pay slightly more somewhere else, but samsung will be at a loss, not apple.

Other companies that produce silicon chips/memory would jump at the chance at Apple. They buy so much that I'm sure Samsung wouldn't want to hurt that relationship but they still have to defend themselves.

 

[theeedude]

Other companies that produce silicon chips/memory would jump at the chance at Apple. They buy so much that I'm sure Samsung wouldn't want to hurt that relationship but they still have to defend themselves.

If Apple jumps from Samsung to another manufacturer, it's going to lock in supply and create shortages for other customers of that other manufacturer, who will then go to Samsung. Similarly for fabrication, if Apple goes to TSMC, that is going to take up TSMC capacity and free up Samsung capacity, so other projects, like flash memory, will move to Samsung.

As far as the phones, if Apple forces Samsung to ditch TouchWiz, that's for the better, IMO. The AMOLED screen is enough to sell the phone, no need for a custom skin that looks like iOS.