A US trade complaint has been filed by Apple seeking to block the import Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S mobile phones. This has come just days after Apple asked a federal court to stop the sales of the devices in the country. The complaint that was submitted last week at the US International Trade Commission in Washington is a counter to the patent infringement claims filed by Samsung against Apple at the agency last week seeking to halt the imports of Apple’s iPhones and iPads. The electronics giant based in Cupertino, California has claimed that Samsung has infringed seven of its patents concerning the technology and design that is used in its devices.
Apple has accused many of its competitors of widely imitating its products; however, it has particularly aimed Samsung which has also been a supplier of computer chips for Apple. Brian Marshall, who is an analyst, has said that it is surprising that the legal dispute, which began this April, has grown to be so ferocious, considering that both the parties are partners. He said that the case has become very public and appears to be ugly, and this has happened very quickly as the two are going after each other’s throats. He added that it is unlikely that Samsung imports will be banned, rather, he expects the two to reach a settlement and a cross licensing deal. He said that even as Apple has been seen as reluctant to license its intellectual property, it might have no choice in the present case as Samsung holds many patents that Apple needs. Representatives from Samsung weren’t available for comment.
Apple stock rose by $2.33 to reach $351.76 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq trading. The company’s stocks have risen 9% this year. Samsung, on the other hand, closed at 898,000 won in trading in Seoul and is down by 5.4% this fiscal year. The ITC case, which can take as long as 15 to 18 months in its hearings if the commission agrees to investigate on it, is the second front in which Apple is attempting to slow down Samsung’s Galaxy products before they can start to take away a portion of Apple’s iPad and iPhone markets in the country. Last week Apple filed a request in the federal court in California asking for a stop on the sale of Samsung Galaxy 4G, Infuse 4G, Droid Charge and Galaxy Tab 10.1 till a patent infringement trial is held.
