Samsung counter sues Apple for patent violation

SYDNEY: Samsung Electronics has filed a counter claim in an Australian court, accusing Apple of infringing its wireless patents related to the U.S. firm’s iPhone and iPad products. The move comes after Samsung had to delay the launch of its latest Galaxy tablet computer in Australia over a global patent dispute with Apple last month. Samsung filed the claim with the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales Registery, on September 16, a media statement released by Samsung Electronics Australia said. [caption id=“attachment_86937” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption]The claim says Apple infringed seven Australian patents owned by Samsung related to wireless communications standards by Apple’s iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad 2. It also says the patents that Apple relied on in its claims against Samsung in relation to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 were invalid and should be revoked by the court, according to the statement. Samsung has previously counter sued Apple over patents in South Korea, Japan and Germany. An Apple spokeswoman in Australia could not immediately be reached for comment. Samsung and Apple have been locked in a battle over smartphones and tablets patents since April as Apple seeks to rein in the growth of Google’s Android phones by taking direct aim at the biggest Android vendor, Samsung. Apple, which has conquered the high end of the phone market with its iPhone, has argued that Samsung had infringed on its patents and the Galaxy line of products “slavishly” copied its design, look and feel. It is fighting legal battles in the United States as well as Europe, South Korea and Australia. Apple scored a legal victory in Germany earlier this month, when a German court barred Samsung’s local unit from selling its Galaxy 10.1 tablets in Europe’s biggest economy. Samsung has since announced it will appeal the court’s decision. Reuters