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Court Orders Samsung to Show Apple Unreleased Handsets, Tablets

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As part of the ongoing litigation between Apple and Samsung over accusations that the latter company blatantly ripped off design elements of the iPhone and iPad, a judge has ruled that Samsung present five of its upcoming Android products to Apple. The suit originally alleged that the Nexus S, Epic 4G, Galaxy S 4G, and Galaxy Tab infringed upon the intellectual property of Apple, and as the case moves forward Samsung must present Apple with the Galaxy S2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G, and Droid Charge. The judge is citing “expedited discovery” in order to give Apple a chance to decide whether or not to file a preliminary injunction.

The decision doesn’t outright side with Apple, but it does give the company a chance to review Samsung’s new lineup and decide if future products fall within the realm of this lawsuit.  The judge is protecting Samsung’s right to competitive advantage by restricting access to the devices to “outside counsel only.” Steve Jobs, Apple’s engineers and internal lawyers won’t have access to the new designs.

[via Gizmodo]

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61 Comments

  1. That’s a bunch of BS.

    1. Yes it is.

    2. The last sentence is key.

  2. Looks like Apple has paid for a competitive edge yet again.  They really need to hold these cases outside of California, a state which Apple has obviously purchased.

    1. Um, why would google set up shop and place its headquarters in a state owned by its arch enemy?

  3. If I was Samsung I’d say hey FUCK you.  If Apple delays the US release of my SGSII I’m going to smash them in the face.

    1. Please do this even if Apple doesn’t delay the SGS2.

      Brutality = Win

    2. I agree! fapple! http://tinyurl.com/3wr5po2

    3. I agree with you. So what if Samsung copy crApple. It free world and price is only thing I care about. If crApple not like it then get out of the kitchen. Beside, Samsung Galaxy out before iPhone, first demoe’d in Jan 2007 which before crApple so who coping who!

      1. I’m not commenting on your grammar.

    4. And today was suppose to be the May 24 event where Samsung could have revealed the US variants of the S II. I just hope this has nothing to do with delaying the launch since I’m so eager to have this phone.

  4. Interesting, since this is an “outside counsel only” restriction – it’s based on appearance at this point. iPhone 5 will apparently have curved glass – Sammy was first to market that but it’s unlikely they’ll sue over it.

    1. Apple can easily purchase any info gathered by the “outside counsel”.  This is a crap ruling that virtually no other company would get.

      1. Actually it is not uncommon for highly confidential and especially competitive information to be restricted to outside counsel only.

        The court binds the outside counsel not to disclose the information to anyone.  Doing so would be contempt of court with sanctions, possibly including jail for lawyers.  Of course, it would have to be proven.

        In SCO vs IBM, this lesson was covered on Groklaw.

    2. Hopefully the “outside counsel” people are smarter than the people that asked if my Dell Streak was an iPad…..

  5. So Samsung supplies a ton of Apple’s parts and is pretty much getting ass raped now. Good job Apple it doesn’t seem like this was the smartest move on your part. I really hope that Samsung wins this case.

  6. considering that samsung is also suing apple why doesn’t the judge make apple give samsung the garbage we will know to be the iphone5?  it’s only fair.  this is already turning out to a bs trial. looks like steve jobs found another c–k to suck on to get his way.  

    1. Samsung would have to ask for that and they haven’t.  Don’t worry though.  Samsung will take care of Apple just fine.  I’ll post about this elsewhere in this topic in a moment.

      1. They don’t need it. Samsung makes half the chips in the thing, They probably already know

    2. That way they can exchange garbage. Despite what we might think of Apple Samsung phones are too plasticky for me and not without various issues (GPS anyone?).

  7. Hahaha…of course Apple will file the injunction.

    1st Samsung tries to Hamstring the EVO by slowing/halting production of it’s displays…then they tell their customers to eff off when they started legitimately complaining about Galaxy S Android updates…and finally Apple squares up on them for trying to violate their patents (which seem fairly obvious they did).

    Comeuppance.

    Fanboys shouting htc/EVO 3D/et al sucks in 3,2,1…

    1. Eh? I’m not sure about the first one. But the updates were the carriers fault. European models got theirs just fine. And this suit is about Samsung’s phones “looking” like Apple’s stuff. It’s IP, not necessarily a patent. How much different can a small slate-like device look compared to others? it’s a fine line, and a slippery slope.

      1. Forgive me bkdroid is correct. Not patent infringement…just interface imitation (wannabe iPhone). Which they (Samsung) have attempted to bootleg.

        Regarding the update fiasco…my point was that their (Samsung) press release came off as an “eff you” to their customer’s (supporters’) complaints. That was and still is a widely held perception. And yes, they intentionally attempted to hinder EVO distribution.

        If you believe that your product is Class-A chip, then let legitimate competition determine that.

        A. Stop pimping off of iPhone’s style
        B. Stop trying to trip up your competition

        Samsung = Fail

        1. Actually. Samsung made a smartphone with the same design language and tiled interface before the iPhone came out. So Apple must have copied them, right? Why is that ok? It was the F900 or some such. Can’t remember for sure.

        2. ok moron..how dumb are you? apple a lg prada look alike..minus glass back.your an idiot with no knowledge of phones.

    2. What a d-bag.  Samsung has nothing to do with the EVO displays, nor do they have anything to do with updates in the US where carriers hamstring the manufacturers on software builds AND hardware specs.  I detect an Apple troll amidst us.

      1. he gives steve his jobs.,

      2. Not that I agree with Unite, but why does having an opposing opinion to all the anti-Apple sentiment automatically make him an Apple troll?

        I mean sure he’s doing a bit of bashing himself, but can you really blame someone who might enjoy Apple products after the thrashing that Apples gotten in the comments section?

        Personally I think it’s retarded for Apple to have their way in this case and I hope Samsung does send them packing.  I’ve never equated a Samsung device to an Apple product, and while I enjoy the iOS and iPod touch, I haven’t been at all pleased with the moves Apple’s been making lately.  They should focus less on being so damned paranoid about their competitors and focus more on making their products better faster…which would be the real way to remedy their current predicament of losing the spot as top dog.

    3. Hamstring is the muscle on the posterior upper leg. Are you saying that Samsung is producing muscles for other phones?

  8. I think Samsung will take care of Apple just fine.

    Samsung has already countersued Apple in multiple countries.  3 I think.

    Samsung and Apple have asked the ITC to impound and destroy each others’ phones.  I hope they both get their wish.  (please bear with me a moment . . .)

    Samsung is much bigger than Apple.  Samsung makes consumer electronics (TVs, mp3 planers, etc), appliances (washers / dryers, etc.), heavy industry (ever seen the Samsung logo on those giant gantry cranes that unload huge cargo ships?), and even jet engines.  I think Samsung would survive if their phone business were disrupted.  Apple, hopefully, would not.

    This patent aggression must be stopped.  Don’t forget that Apple also sued HTC in spring of 2010 for making phones that were excessively awesome.  Only Apple is allowed to do that.  Doesn’t everyone know that the smartphone business is God’s gift exclusively to Apple?

    Noticed articles recently that Apple is now looking to Intel for parts it used to get from Samsung?  Gee, Intel doesn’t make ARM chips.  How about a nice power hungry hot running Atom processor?  An iPhone with a built in cooling fan anyone?  Jobs could show it on stage as the next innovation in smartphones!
     

    1. I do agree! I hope Apple’s attitude towards Samsung make other part manufacturers like Sony think twice about dealing with Apple and their iPhone. Who would want to create parts for a company that might turn around and sue them! I sure wouldn’t and I hope other companies share my sentiment. If Apple’s supply chain dries up and companies refuse to deal with them, it’s gonna be a long hard road for Apple. I mean, their Mac line barely holds it’s head above the water level.

  9. Apple is like that little punk kid at recess. “Teacher, Teacher, Sammy is not playing fair.  Please make them stop!”  Damn, I hate Apple.

    1. Lol AWESOME description of Apple! :D

    2. like the analogy, just dosn’t go far enough! I don’t have the skills to fully vocalize how whiny Apple really is!

    3. More like the snitch. Fisrt kid to taddle, but also the first to cheat to get their way.

  10. What about LG?  Their phones look like iOS too.

    1. They’ll be sued next. As soon as Appple sets the precident.

      1. Doubtful that Apple sues LG, due to the fact that LG makes the retina display for them. But it is funny. The LG Optimus 2X sure looks like Touchwiz to me.  So they dare not say a word to LG, eh? 

    2. actually apple stole from their prada design.they made touch screens before appl iphone 

  11. If I’m reading right about the parts Apple gets from Samsung, Samsung should pull the rug out from under Apple and just seize all sales to them. Sure they might find a replacement supplier, but 1) Will it be the quality? and 2) It still has to hurt Apple in the mean time. Don’t bite the hand that feeds. Seriously.

  12. This means almost nothing since Apple takes almost a whole year to add stuff to their products after the competition does.

    Did Apple have multitasking, a good notification system, nor 4G first? NO!

  13. reminds me of pirates of silicone valley…with HP. this time…its Sammy.
    FUCKIN HATE APPLE!

  14. iPhone 6S2, coming out next year!

  15. FUCK YOU APPLE.

  16. Weren’t all of these devices already shown? Is the look of the Galaxy S2 still secret? Apple must not know the continent called Europe…

  17. Apple wins. YESSS

    1. gay

    2. Yes, Apple is a weiner. Darth Jobs would be so proud of you for trolling an Android website. Darth Jobs to Chrisak47, “I am your father. Come over to the dark side with me.” Chrisak47, “Ok”.

    3. Apple won’t win. This is not about winning or losing. Apple are just pissed off with Samsung repetively copying them and then riding their coat tails and they want everyone to know it. Samsung should put money into R&D and marketing, that way we all win, it creates more jobs and creates more products. How do we benefit if the only differences are the logos on the back. Just copying other peoples products does not help us consumers. At least Motorola attempted to create something different even if it was a flop.

  18. damn.. u guys really hate apple.

  19. Samsung is going to show 5 black slabs and say that all tabs/phones look that way =op

  20. There is no reason to hate apple. They produce products their way. Some of those products are pretty good, too. Just because I don’t like their philosophy doesn’t mean I have to hate the company or not ever buy their products.
    I do however, object to this bogus suit. Oh yeah, I don’t like samsung. I’m pretty sure I like apple a lot more than samsung, in fact. But this suit is just rediculous for both companies. Apple already know how it’s going to end. They can’t stop samsung from making those phone because the suit has no grounds. Apple can’t grief samsung either, coz they got plenty of money. At the end, Samsung will continue to sell those phones. Android community gets more goodies. Both companies spent some money.
    The real winners? The lawyers
    The real losers? investors and tax payers.

    I don’t invest in either company, but as a tax payer, I object!

  21. “Look!  It has a touchscreen and makes phone calls!  It’s the same!  GIVE US MONEY!!!!! NOM NOM NOM” – Steve Jobs

  22. Nexus S Epic 4g? Talk about s hybrid.

  23. i have just lost ALL and any respect i still may have had hiding in the deepest reaches of my body for apple;  i don’t understand how ANY of those products are like apple’s iPiece-of-Shit anything!!!

    1.  I gues you will not be buying any Sharp, Pioneer or Fujitsu products (to name a few) as they have all sued Samsung in the past for various IP infringements. If you don’t want to buy a companies products because they are shit then so be it. If you base product purchasing on past or current law suits then you will fast run out of choices.

  24. This is in California correct? I would have said hell no.
    in all these law suits…there’s a supreme court ruling requiring a patent reform…
    hell maybe an amendment to the constitution. This is ridiculous. Isn’t this exactly what Nazi Germany did in an economic sense?

  25. I’d love to see this exact same story on an Apple page just to see how their fanboys justify this lawsuit. My guess is that it would be one weak comment and everyone else jumping on board. 

  26. You don’t file preliminary injunctions.  You file motions for preliminary injunctions.  Only the judge can preliminarily enjoin a party to a lawsuit.

  27. if apple made a superior product they wouldnt have to sue anyone. I wonder how many car manufacturers Henry Ford could sue now cos they improved on his ideas. Fuck you steve jobs. Your greed and girly child like attempts to attack a company that has BESTED you makes me fucking sick. I would love to punch your face in.

  28. Samsung does copy every ones designs, wether that is reason to sue? business is dirty war I guess

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