Samsung countersues Apple

SMARTPHONE MAKER Samsung has countersued Apple, claiming the Iphone and Ipad infringe a number of its patents.

A week ago Apple sued Samsung, claiming it "slavishly" copied its design, right down to the packaging, but Samsung is firing back with a court case of its own.

The company claims that Apple's Iphone and Ipad infringe 10 Samsung mobile patents relating to data transmission power reduction, 3G transmission error reduction and wireless data communications.

Samsung wants a halt to production of these infringing Apple products and monetary compensation.

Samsung is Apple's closest competitor in the tablet market and a world leader in smartphones using Google's Android operating system on both types of devices. If Apple gets a favourable patents ruling against Samsung that could cripple its business and slow down the competition.

That won't be easy now that Samsung has joined the legal battle with counterclaims. These kinds of counter lawsuits are often exerted as a defence tactic to force an opposing company to drop its original lawsuit and come to some sort of settlement.

"Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business," Samsung said, according to Reuters.

An agreement is important to both companies, as they have existing business ties in the form of Samsung's supply of chips for Apple products. This is a significant revenue stream for Samsung, but it could potentially pull the plug on Apple's chips if it keeps playing hardball on mobile patents. µ