Samsung to Sue Apple over LTE Use on iPhone 5
Samsung, which has been locked in an ongoing series of high-stakes patent trials with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), has previously threatened to sue the iPhone maker if it were to release LTE-enabled products. Well, the new iPhone 5 is expected to be unveiled at a press event in San Francisco tomorrow, and the next-generation smartphone is reported to have long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity.
Samsung "has decided to take immediate legal action," according to the Korea Times. The article quotes an industry source:
It's true that Samsung Electronics has decided to take immediate legal action against the Cupertino-based Apple. Countries in Europe and even the United States – Apple's home-turf – are our primary targets.
Industry insiders say Apple's next iPhone will work with some but not all 4G LTE networks in the United States and other countries when it is released.
Taiwan's HTC also is battling with the iPhone maker over patents. Last Thursday, U.S. International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender suggested that that Apple might be unable to persuade him that two HTC patents related to 4G LTE technology should be invalidated. Speculation is that that case could lead to an import ban on the latest iPad and the forthcoming iPhone 5.
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Law, Rumors, Technology Companies, Wireless Tagged: AAPL, featured
