Samsung adds iPad mini and iPad 4 to patents battle against Apple

22 Nov 2012

In the latest predictable salvo in the never-ending patent wars, Samsung has added the iPad mini to the list of product infringements it alleges Apple has committed.

The iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad now join the iPod touch, the iPhone 5 and the iPad among the technologies Samsung is alleging Apple has infringed. Apple revealed the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad in California in October.

In September, Apple won a major US$1bn judgment against Samsung.

Now it is Samsung’s turn to go on the offensive in a case that will be heard in March 2013.

According to FOSS patents, Samsung’s motion is certain to be granted with respect to the two iPads Apple unveiled last month.

In related news, a US judge has told Apple it has to provide Samsung with the full details of its recent licensing agreement with HTC, which ended patent hostilities between Apple and HTC.

Apple originally agreed to hand over the information, but with the information on how much it would be charging HTC over the course of the 10-year licence blacked out.

US court judge Paul Grewal instructed Apple to give Samsung the information on the entire deal with nothing blacked out for lawyers’ eyes only.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com