The legal issues between Apple and Samsung show no sign of letting up, and whilst we’re growing a little tired of the entire debacle, we’re also learning more and more about two of technology’s most influential companies.
The general gist of proceedings – for those who’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so – sees Apple accusing its Korean rival of copying several iPad design patents in the creation of the Galaxy Tab range of tablets. There are court hearings occurring all over the world at this moment in time, but the one in the United States – set to continue next week – is arguably the most influential, since it is one of the largest markets for both companies.
In the latest dose of news-that-wouldn’t-have-been-news-if-Apple-wasn’t-suing-Samsung, new documents just made public note Best Buy had told Samsung it found itself processing a bunch of returns of the Galaxy Tab from disgruntled customers who thought they were getting an iPad.
Such news is obviously embarrassing to Samsung, and also doesn’t help when trying to plead innocence in design plagiarism accusations. Not so long ago, Apple also referred to the comments of "famous designers" who noted the Samsung Galaxy S "looked like it copied the iPhone too much." The image of The Galaxy S alongside the iPhone 3GS have become iconic of the entire feud, and even looking at the two now, you have to say it would be difficult to separate them from afar.
There’s little doubt those of us familiar with techie gadgets aren’t going to mistake a Galaxy Tab for an iPad, it’s of little surprise plenty of customers have been fooled, and although Samsung claims to have shipped many millions of units of the slate, it’s currently unknown just how many of those were sold.
Apple is rightly credited with shaping both the smartphone and tablet market, and its brief prior to next week’s court hearing points to the general design of Samsung products prior to the iPhone’s announcement in 2007 , and thereafter. The sharp rise in Samsung’s market share and revenue, Apple argues, is largely due to it copying patented features of the iPhone and iPad.
It will be interesting to see what the outcome of next week’s proceedings will be, but we’ll have it all covered here at Redmond Pie, so stay tuned!
(via AllThingsD)
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