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Apple sues Samsung for allegedly copying look and feel of iPhone, iPad
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Yesterday, Apple filed suit against Samsung over their "Galaxy" line of Android-based smartphones and tablets. In a statement, Apple claimed that Samsung copied Apple's technology and user interfaces:
"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products," the Journal quoted Apple's complaint as saying.
As many have noted, Apple also happens to be one of Samsung's biggest customers. Apple uses Samsung displays and semiconductors extensively in their iOS devices. Even so, Samsung says they will respond "strongly":
"Apple is one of our key buyers of semiconductors and display panels. However, we have no choice but respond strongly this time," an unidentified official was quoted as saying.
According to the Yahoo news article, Apple was Samsung's second-largest client in 2010 after Sony Corp and was responsible for $142 billion (4%) of Samsung's revenues last year.
I seriously can't see how Samsung could wiggle their way out of this in court, but I could see them ending any agreements between Apple(if it's even legal to do).
We are talking about different business units within the parent company and shooting yourself in the foot is just stupid. If Samsung is smart they will let the software division for the mobile devices deal with this and not let it hamper their lucrative hardware business with Apple.
The problem is that it doesn't only deal with the user-interface, but the actual look of the device. If Samsung values their mobile market higher than having some income from Apple, then it is very possible for them to ditch Apple.
So if Apple wants money from Samsung over this, I assume they're about to give a lump sum to LG, whose Fall 2006 Prada phone design they copied when making the original iPhone?
My apologies if this offends any zealous iPhone fans; I just consider the look-and-feel argument to be complete BS once there are more than one major competitor in a market and they've already clearly "borrowed" ideas from one another. Microsoft isn't suing Apple for OS X Lion having Windows-styled UI buttons, and I don't recall Apple suing Microsoft for Windows Vista having Spotlight in the corner of the screen.
EDIT: Addendum. I find this especially the case for current smart phones, where they're barely more than just a capacitive touchscreen showing a grid of apps. How many different ways are you going to do that?
EDIT: Addendum. I find this especially the case for current smart phones, where they're barely more than just a capacitive touchscreen showing a grid of apps. How many different ways are you going to do that?
If a company put an equivalent amount of R&D money towards their UI as Apple has done, there are an infinite number of possibilities. Some companies just tend to be leaching on the popular things.How many different ways are you going to do that?
You fail to understand the work that goes into creating such a user interface like that in iOS. There's a reason why Apple has so many patents for it...because THEY are the one's who spent the money towards R&D to come up with a solution that best works for what they want to do with it. So, when someone just comes out and copies everything...to the tee, why wouldn't it be worthy of a lawsuit? Until the iPhone came out with its interface, all other "smartphones" had scrolling lists of "programs" and other data, or briefly showed important programs on the home screen(BB), but these are all based on Windows variants of program viewing. Some androids have worked fine around their own interface style.
And frankly, those samsung phones don't look so good when legit iphone clones have a user interface almost identical to that of that samsung shown on the picture.
If a company put an equivalent amount of R&D money towards their UI as Apple has done, there are an infinite number of possibilities. Some companies just tend to be leaching on the popular things.
Thats what I mentioned above dealing with the Prada being rushed so it could be shown off. It was the dumbest move LG made.You remember incorrectly. The Prada was shown and even in the running for a design award before the iPhone was ever announced
Research the prada a little more. LG released all the info/specs/FCC before they even had a real mass-producable item, that was ready for sale. After doing that, do the same search for the iPhone.so there was no rushing going on.
yeah, sure, whatever! Class...that's why it was named "Prada," right? If you had a legit intellectual property claim, and didn't follow through, that's not called having class, it's called being stupid!In addition, LG never pursued a lawsuit at all, because they actually had some class about the whole situation.