Samsung Is Geared Up To Sue Apple If They Release An LTE iPhone

After a rather large loss in court last week, Samsung is back up and ready to throw some punches at Apple if they release an iPhone with LTE connectivity. Korea Times is reporting that Samsung is planning to immediately hit Apple with a lawsuit if they even dare to release an LTE iPhone. An analysis has shown that Samsung holds 10% of the LTE patents that have been granted and has held off from suing Apple’s LTE enabled iPad and instead waiting for the much more popular iPhone.

This sounds like trouble for Apple as releasing an LTE iPhone would immediately get them a lawsuit from Samsung who has plenty of power to back up the case. On the flip side, releasing another iPhone without LTE would likely be just as bad as many consumers would go for an LTE enabled phone instead. Give us your thoughts on this latest development in the comments. Is it good or bad?

Droid Life, Korea Times

Tags: Apple, iPhone, lawsuit, LTE, patent, Samsung

yamigenshuku 16 pts

Well I hear the new iPhone is gonna have LTE and NFC, doesn't it kinda sound like a Samsung device? You know, since you can sue for dumb things like bounceback and all, why not?

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ClarkKent113 12 pts

I like it. Give Apple a piece of their own medicine.

LawrenceDBrown 5 pts

Lmao Karma Huh??

jrcrow79 5 pts

Tu che! Crapple products

ryanmahan

Apple is so stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.

kanoneyez 71 pts

BTW, love the cataclysmic "when-an-irresistible-force-meets-an-immovable-object" image at the beginning of the article.

Like they say, "Payback is a b (expletive deleted). Knowing how Apple feels "great artists steal," I'm expecting them to thumb their arrogant noses and deploy LTE anyway. The alternative would kill them in the market (which is exactly what they tried to do to Samsung).

Amphibliam 5 pts

I've been saying this was going to happen for a while. At least since the Spring. Samsung had better win. Apple has had a few valid patents but most have been BS.

jhernandez4688 13 pts

Samsung, possibly sue them to he'll and back. Apple needs to be shaking down to its nasty, putrid core.

zookeeper63 6 pts

ah how sweet karma can be!

robin8 7 pts

i hope apple get hit very hard. a patent in design is stupid, what are they thinking that they have controlled over what design consumer want. if i like a red shirt, do i have to get a blue one because apple said so?

jaze 10 pts

Loving this, Someone had to teach Cupertino that legals suits can work both ways!!! About time!

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Jf665 10 pts

I love this!! Apple pissed off the wrong company. Think twice before biting the hand that feeds you!!

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Haloruler64 84 pts

Seems like a standard essential patent.... not good. Even though I'm a Samsung fanboy... not good.

MichaelRaison 5 pts

Why is it not good? I don't know anything about patents.@Haloruler64

MichaelRaison Haloruler64 LTE technology is a standard essential patent. Those are often thrown out in court, like many of Motorola's 3G patents. So this wouldn't work out too well.

Well that is stupid. What good is a patent if violations are going to be thrown out? Thanks for the info and quick reply though.@Haloruler64

MichaelRaison Haloruler64 Some patents shouldn't have been gotten in the first place. And standard essential patents ruin innovation. Imagine if Samsung sued everyone so they were the only LTE phone maker. A bit ridiculous. That's why standard essential patents can be thrown out. On the other hand, Apple owns a LOT of them...

Haloruler64 MichaelRaison Some patents like data tapping and slide to unlock b.s.? I agree that it would be bad if Samsung had that ability. I'm not irritated because they can't use it, but that the courts would actually award a patent that is useless. I wish they would take this battle out of the freakin court room and into the consumer market.

MichaelRaison Haloruler64 To Haloruler64: You made an excellent point that for some reason completely slipped my mind. The probable contention here (and I'm no SME (subject matter expert) is that if Apple uses Samsung's LTE chips instead of someone else's without paying the due royalties, they will suffer.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication), under the heading "Patents," there are some 60 companies hold LTE patents. I know that Samsung also produces wireless infrastructure equipment as does Ericsson and others. And, as shown in the above article, a USB wireless modem is manufactured by Samsung. (There is so much that Samsung makes that the American public is completely unaware of. They are indeed innovators in many fields.)

kanoneyez MichaelRaison I want to thank you for contributing to this article :) It's good commenters like you that make this site better

Haloruler64 Same to you, sir. (You know, I just noticed that your profile pic is of you looking at your Nikon display. If you have your pics on any of the web-hosts, let me know. Mine is: http://picasaweb.google.com/kanoneyez (I couldn't get "canoneyes" it was taken.)

amdestined 22 pts

Like a boss!!! Hopefully this is true, if so GO SAMSUNG GO!!!!

jhong 5 pts

I wonder if this will pay off that 1 billion court fee.

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