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Samsung Seeking Ban of iPhone 4S in Europe
First time accepted submitter KingofSpades writes "Samsung has announced that they will try to stop the sale of Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S in France and Italy. Samsung believes that Apple is 'severely violating' some of their patents. From the article: 'Samsung will file motions with courts in Paris and Milan seeking the ban, each citing two patent infringements on wireless telecommunications technology, the Suwon, South Korea- based company said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S in Cupertino, California this week and aims to start sales later this month.'"
FIGHT
Patents are bad... .... except for when they hurt Apple. :)
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
<OVERDRAMATIC>
"Let the Battle Begin!"
</OVERDRAMATIC>
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
isn't the 4s the exact same design as the 4, just with some relatively minor hardware upgrades? which patents could apple possibly be violating that they were violating already? the only "new" technology is the camera which has an extra lens or something, and the processor, which apple developed internally and has been available for months. would be interesting to see which patents, exactly, samsung is claiming apple is violating.
If you can't innovate, litigate.
Countdown to Apple-haters pointing out how it's ok for Samsung to do it because Apple are a bunch of poo-poo-heads: 3-2-1...
Sammy has taken off the gloves and has taken out the big guns... WCDMA patents. They could have gone after basically every 3G device there is (if they were assholes) but have used them very strategically to stick it to Apple, while actually gaining popular support for using a broad patent in their arsenal.
I'll sue them all, muthafuckazz!! I want an iPhone 4s and damn Samsung Galaxy Tab for gods sakes! So what about that? Oh... yeah... it's in Europe... not my problem, go kill yourself... foolz.
Is this some kind of strategy Samsung and Apple help each other to get more attention and more profit?
There is a spark in every single flame bait point.
which patents could apple possibly be violating that they were violating already?
This is over patents that Apple has been violating all along. Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and have all been tryng to negotiate licensing deals with Apple since the day the iPhone was shipped and they still haven't come to an agreement. The different companies have had different thresholds of how far they are will to push negotiations before suing. Apple crossed Samsungs threshold when they used a shitty German "Design Patent" to force the Galaxy Tab off the market because it was a black rectangle with rounded corners.
What it all comes down to is that Apple thinks that it should be able to license all the hardware/communication patents that these companies hold under FRAND terms, while at the same time refusing to license any of it's software patents. Many of the communication patents are related to the GSM/CDMA standards, and thus do require FRAND licensing, but not all of the hardware patents.
any plans to ban it germany, file a motion in berlin? these patent wars are getting stupid - why not just share the knowledge and build an awesome product instead of all this crazy fighting over who has the biggest penis.
It has a WCDMA radio in it. Samsung holds a patent related to that kind of thing. In the older iPhones, only the Verizon ones had CDMA radios, the AT&T ones had GSM. Now I suppose Samsung could have gone after them, but that might risk angering Verizon and Samsung doesn't want to do that. This one though, all phones have both radios so they can go after it and try to block it generally.
IANAL, so I probably shouldn't even speak these word, but doesn't the equitable doctrine of laches mean that if Samsung knew that everybody was violating their WCDMA patents and did nothing to enforce them, then they eventually forfeit the right to enforce them.
Although now that I think about it, they might be trying to enforce WCDMA patents specific to HSPA+, which wasn't present before the 4s.
If anyone knows, speak up.
The iPhone 4S isn't available to buy, it's not even available to pre-order yet. But Samsung managed to get ahold of one, reverse engineered it, and found it to infringed on their patents. Impressive.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
Revenge is sweet.
This may be the reason for not calling it iPhone 5?
Unlike the "look and feel" patents Apple is blocking the new Samsung Galaxy Tab over, this is actual real patent. On a side note, patent system still broken.
After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
It looks like the iPhone 4S isn't a bad revision of a phone after all if Samsung are scared enough to not to think they can compete with it unless they resort to legal measures...
... or is that line of reasoning only reserved for when it is Apple doing the suing?
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Apple is bad.
iPhone is good.
Apple != iPhone
iPhone is good.
Android is better.
Android > iPhone
For years these companies have just been accumulating patents and preparing for this. Once products actually start being banned from markets, average people will see how silly and unproductive the whole patent thing is. Then maybe we can get some real reform.
On the outside there doesn't appear to be many changes. On the inside there have been many hardware changes. However it is easier to call someone a fanboy rather than give Apple any credit. You do realize that Apple was able to put in a larger processor, make the phone operate both CDMA and GSM, put in a larger camera-- all the while keeping the same form factor with a slight increase in weight (3g). I would think geeks would appreciate the engineering it would take to do this.
The processor package doesn't get physically much if any bigger by going to dual-core. The radio in the Verizon I-phone was already capable of GSM. The firmware just didn't take advantage. The camera does seem to have some better optics and that is a good thing. Overall, it looks like a just a merging of the Verizon and AT&T phones along with a few closely compatible part upgrades that had become available from internal and external suppliers. No form factor heroics here.
Apple is claiming Samsung are copycats, making their hardware (and software) copies of Apple's.
So ... Samsung now copies Apple's legal tactics as well. Can this be submitted as evidence into the first trial? :-P
I can't help but think this is somewhat poetic.
Maybe the double-edged sword will cut deep enough some common sense will break out.
Shouldn't it be the other way around...? Isn't that why Apple brought out the patent guns in the first place, because they thought Samsung was too much like them and they couldn't compete?
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
The same Slashdotters who are worried about patents in the H.264 standard someday possibly being used to sue someone are now excited when patents around technology core to 3G are being exploited. Hypocrisy.
Maybe in opposite land.
.... Wonder where they will be located on the phone??
Now which ever way you hold it you'll probably be covering an antenna limiting it's effectiveness without an approved apple rubber ring slapped on it...
Oh and since US mobile networks are basically over subscribed, You'll probably never have both functioning at the same speed on a network, So you'll end up with exactly the same speed as an iPhone4, while Sprint charge you twice the price for the privilege...
Laters Sol "Have you found the secrets of the universe? Asked Zebade "I'm sure I left them here somewhere"
Would you both kindly shut the fuck up? Thank you.
Why are these battles always in Europe? Not that I want any product being blocked here in the states, but why isn't there ever battles to block sales here?
I thought it said Samsung seeks to ban iPhone 45 in europe (thats forty-five, the same caliber as the gun that Colt tamed the west with.and I wondered if Apple were doing a 'firefox version inflation thing'
Seriously, let's them wage a open war and bring other belligerants from that "who sues who" graph to fight too. They will either get to an armistice or be mutually leveled to ground.
That is too dumb for anyplace, I see why you posted it as an AC.
Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
Neither Android nor iPhone are scalars.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
Note that in Paris (don't know for Milan), Samsung is seeking a summary judgment (référé in French) This is a fast judgment wich is usually made before a full trial.
The iPhone is shiny, but Android phones are shiny and don't involve giving money to Apple.
No, they involve giving money to Microsoft.
I'm getting so fucking sick of this shit.
iPhone is good. Android is also good, but much cheaper. Android market share > iPhone market share. Apple market share > any other smartphone vendor market share. One truly killer device = Apple in trouble.
This implies some sort of measurable, quantifiable aspect. Please define your units.
I hate my Android phone. Droid Eris. It has so many annoying hardware and software glitches I can't list them all.
That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".
Seems to me that if you sue somebody over patent infringement, you ought to have to take action against all and any others whom you know to be in violation. Otherwise it's political, not legal. Given this is over network protocol and implementation patents, which all next-gen phones use, Apple's iPhones / iPad / etc can't be the only ones using the tech in these patents. Maybe Samsung has licensing agreements with other players but wants steeper terms from Apple? What would justify that per se considering this is an "underlying infrastructure" patent that is common between brands, not a differentiator in terms of profit?
I know the "sue one, sue all" thing isn't the law, but just making the point that otherwise you get into political shit-flinging in the legal system between corporations, which is what the Apple / Samsung thing seems to be, and it really just is flushing time and effort and money down the porcelain throne.
And the bull won't play nice with you like it did in the past!
I wonder if Apple was expecting a reaction of this magnitude when it initiated this tit-for-tat?
Samsung, it would be shooting yourself in the foot to prevent Apple from marketing their products. Apple invents the new paradigm, (and whether they synthesize it from pre-existing technology or not is neither here nor there) and Samsung (et al) pretty much jump on the bandwagon and copy it, and make a lot of money out of it. If Apple goes away, who are you then going to copy in order to make your money?
You bastards.
That would get over 9000 on reddit. But in reddit you know you're facing stupidity while in /. you really have to try to figure if the poster is sarcasm impaired or just plain idiot.
The fact that anyone believes that an 8mp camera and voice recognition is innovating on the mobile market pretty much tells you someone is getting payed by the word. The iPhone 4S seems like a dud, Jobs is Death (RIP) so you all can wait for an overdose of turf babble in the next weeks.
You do realize that the Galaxy S2 has all of this and more - and has been available for several months now?
Why is the legal system set up this way. It seems that Apple/Samsung can get an injunction against Samsung/Apple to prevent them from selling their product without there being a full trial to determine whether there is actually any wrongdoing.
Apple and Samsung should be allowed to sell their products freely now, and then later, after a long court battle, if either is found violating a patent or whatever they should have to turn over all the money they made from whatever product violated their patent. That way they will probably make more money of the patent.
iPhone is good.
Android is better.
Android > iPhone
Apple is an asshole corporation
Android is sold through different corporations, asshole or not
Android diversity > Apple diversity.
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