Apple Sues Samsung for Allegedly Copying iPhone, iPad Design

 Apple is suing rival mobile phone maker Samsung over the design of the Galaxy line of products, which includes the ‘S’ smartphone and the ‘Tab’ tablet PC. The American lawsuit claims that Samsung is ‘slavishly’ copying Apple's iPhone and iPad designs.

Apple cites examples of patent infringement that include both core technology and aesthetics, and refers to patents issued in 2009 and 2010. Apple also claims that the arrangement of icons and packaging are similar between the Galaxy phones and the iPhone.

“Samsung’s Galaxy Tab computer tablet slavishly copies a combination of several elements of the Apple Product Configuration Trade Dress,” Apple says in its suit. It notes, additionally, that Samsung’s tablet, like Apple’s, uses a similar rectangular design with rounded corners, similar black border and array of icons. That could indicate other tablet manufacturers, such as Motorola and HTC, can expect lawsuits in the future too.

Filed in the US District Court in Northern California, the suit alleges patent and trademark infringement, as well as unfair competition. It seeks a finding that the alleged infringement was wilful in addition to injunctions, actual damages and punitive damages.

Samsung, which is also a supplier of chips to Apple for the iPhone and iPad, said that it would fight the actions. All the devices concerned run Google’s rival Android operating system.