Lawsuits Against Apple: There has been a lot of talk lately regarding the legal battle between Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung. In addition to their differences in the United States, the two tech giants have been slugging it out on European soil as well. Is there any end in sight?
While Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has its hands full with its own legal battles, it appears that Samsung is in a bit deeper than everybody believed.
At this time, it appears that Samsung is going to be hit with formal changes as a result of allegedly breaking competition rules by filing patent lawsuits against Apple.
Here is what Joaquin Almunia, the European Union’s antitrust chief, said to the Financial Times:
We will adopt a statement of objections very soon. I don’t know if before the end of this year or the beginning of next year because we are in the last step of our internal procedures.
While Almunia is happy that Samsung has decided to drop patent injunction applications in five countries, this is not going to change how things progress in the near future.
We are very happy if these [requested] injunctions are withdrawn but we will continue to investigate the possible abuses that existed . . . in the past.
Although Samsung was first notified in January that they were under investigation, things really seem to be heating up.
A recent article on SlashGear sums up the history of Samsung’s legal trouble, with a view from the EU:
In 2011, Samsung sought injunctive relief in various Member States’ courts against competing mobile device makers based on alleged infringements of certain of its patent rights which it has declared essential to implement European mobile telephony standards. The Commission will investigate, in particular, whether in doing so Samsung has failed to honour its irrevocable commitment given in 1998 to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to license any standard essential patents relating to European mobile telephony standards on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. The Commission will examine whether such behaviour amounts to an abuse of a dominant position prohibited by Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)” European Commission.
Even though Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung continue to trade blows in the courtroom, both companies have legal issues well beyond that.
Check back here for more updates on Lawsuits Against Apple.
For more background information on the legal battle between the two tech titans, read these articles:
Samsung Backs Off Apple Inc., But Just a Little Bit
Judge Denies Apple Inc. Injunction, No Better Luck for Samsung
