It's been a while since we heard anything relating to a Samsung/Apple lawsuit. Last we heard, Samsung had won the right to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 down under and was using Apple's relentless efforts to block its sale to boost marketing for the device. However, it seems though Samsung won that particular battle, the war rages on.
Bloomberg reports that Apple has just filed a lawsuit aiming to block the sale of multiple Samsung-brand smartphones in Germany. The lawsuit covers ten phones in total, including the company's successful Galaxy S Plus and S II handsets. The suit was filed in Dusseldorf and is alleging patent infringement of Apple's design rights.
Samsung was recently forced to introduce a modified version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany after Apple claimed that the original model was too similar to its iPad tablet. The result was the Galaxy 10.1N, which was introduced after sales of the original version were blocked. Apple tried to have this model blocked too, claiming that it was still infringing upon Apple-owned patents. However, in December, Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann said in a preliminary assessment that the courts believed Samsung's changes were sufficient.
"According to the court's assessment, the defendant has moved away sufficiently from the legally protected design," Judge Brueckner-Hofmann is quoted by Reuters as saying. A ruling is expected on February 9.
