Apple and Samsung re-open patent battle

Smartphone makers are at it again, with the potential of a US ban on infringing products

Smartphone makers Apple and Samsung will continue to duke it out in court over yet another set of patents, as the companies' worldwide war for supremacy in mobile devices rolls on.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has accused Samsung of infringing on its "slide to unlock" feature, and its "tap from search" feature, which enables users to tap onto a phone number found within any webpage to begin a call.

Apple is suing Samsung for a sum in the region of $2bn (£1.2bn) over the functions. It wants Samsung to pay a royalty of $40 (£24) on every device that it claims uses "copied software" from its mobile operating system, iOS.

"Apple revolutionised the market in personal computing devices," the company said in court filings. "Samsung, in contrast, has systematically copied Apple's innovative technology and products, features and designs, and has deluged markets with infringing devices.''

But South Korean giant Samsung has hit back with claims of its own that Apple has infringed several of its patents on its iPod, iPhone, iPad and Mac devices.

"Samsung has been a pioneer in the mobile device business sector since the inception of the mobile device industry," Samsung lawyers stated in their own filings. "Apple has copied many of Samsung's innovations in its Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad products.''

Samsung believes that Apple's devices copy Samsung's method for how media is depicted on devices, and for transmission of data using low-bandwidth connections.

If either is successful at the trial, they will likely try to push for the infringing products to be banned from sale in the US.