In In a new lawsuit that is part of an ongoing patent dispute between the two companies, Samsung has demanded that Apple should allow its lawyers to see the iPhone 3 and iPad 3 before these devices are launched into the market. This is clearly an instance of tit for tat courtroom battle, as in April 2011 Apple had filed a lawsuit accusing Samsung of launching tablets and phones that look and feel like the iPhone and iPad. Apple had alleged that Samsung chose to copy Apples technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.
After that a California court had ordered Samsung to turn over a variety of its unreleased Galaxy mobile products to Apples legal team. However, the court had also placed the condition that only Apples external lawyers could be allowed to handle any one of Samsungs unreleased devices. The main point of this court ruling was to allow Apples legal team to determine if additional Samsung products could be added to the lawsuit the company had filed in April. It is also worth noting that Apple did not file any injunction seeking to bar Samsung from selling its tablets and the Galaxy S phones. The company does not plan to do so in any time soon.
Now Samsung has started demanding a similar prerogative for its legal team by evoking the issue of fundamental fairness. Basically the issue boils down to Ill bare my gizmos to you, if youll bare yours. However, there is one basic flaw in the counter lawsuit from Samsung. It is obvious that iPhone 3 and iPad 3 will be launched at some point of time. But in a strictly legal sense, Samsung cant say for sure that these products will actually be launched. There has not been any press release from Apple confirming the future launch of such products. On the other hand, Apple had prior knowledge of the devices that Samsung was planning to launch through the companys press releases, photographs and the publicity material.
The case continues to generate intense interest from tech onlookers and ordinary users. While the two companies compete in the markets and in the courtrooms, they also happen to be close business associates. Apple is one of Samsungs largest customers. A swathe of components, including flash memory, displays and for production of the A5 and A4 processors that are used in a range of Apples devices, come from Samsung. Last year Apple had spent $5.68 billion with Samsung.
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