The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has filed suit against Samsung, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy line too closely imitates the look and feel of the iPhone and iOS. The lawsuit specifically calls out Samsung’s products like the Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Nexus S and Galaxy Tab and goes on to state that, “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.”
This specific lawsuit is a bit more awkward than usual as Apple is not only Samsung’s competitor, but also one of its largest clients. Samsung currently supplies Apple with large quantities of flash memory, LCD displays and the A4 and A5 chips found in iPhone 4s and iPads. There’s no word yet on what kind of damages Apple is seeking in the lawsuit, but given that they are saying Samsung copied the look and feel of both iOS and iPhone and iPad hardware, it’s not a stretch to assume that Apple would demand all devices be removed from the market should they win the suit.
UPDATE: Apple has issued the following statement to Mobilized: “It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”
Apple suing Samsung: Galaxy too similar to iPhone look and feel originally appeared on TUAW on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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