Samsung Seemingly Unconcerned Over Apple Lawsuit, Hints Dispute Could Continue to Escalate

[CQd44]

Don't tell us..... 'It's generic'.

Maybe not generic, but a LOT of old phones have their icons arranged in a grid.

Other than the app drawer, the phones don't resemble eachother. They don't operate in the exact same fashion.

le sigh.

I don't even like TouchWiz or Samsung phones. This lawsuit is just silly to me.

 

[Avalontor]

They get credit for coming up with a different UI, but the UI is still multi-touch and this is a UI that Apple invented, and has patented.

Fortunately for Microsoft, they already signed a cross licensing agreement with Apple and have been paying apple significant royalties since the 1990s.... so Apple won't need to sue them.

Multi-touch is Apple's invention.[/QUOTE]

You should check out who invented Multi-touch, you would be surprised. A couple of Canadians if I remember.

You should also check out a company called Fingerworks, Apple bought them in 2005 for their Multi-touch patents.
patented but not inventive

 

[maclaptop]

Reading this thread simply reveals how serious some peoples ego is attached to the company they worship.

This is like a good movie, sit back, relax and be entertained

Samsung has nothing to be concerned about. Apple sues many companies, it's their idea of how to operate. Attack in the press, play the victim, and keep their legal team engaged. It's just posturing and Apple thrives on it. If that wasn't true they would not be initiating all these law suits.

It'll all fade away in time. Money will change hands and Apple will cock the gun and set it's sites on the next company they envy.

 

[AppleScruff1]

And we must remember, all of this is very bad for the consumer.

Even Apple loyalists should realise the very VERY last thing that we as consumers should want to happen is for people like Apple to be the only ones able to produce X, Y or Z

All that will happen then is they will sit on it and not feel so under pressure.

With other companies producing products that threaten their profits, it makes any company try as hard as they can year after year to offer the very best they can otherwise they will get overtaken.

I'm sure every Apple fan wants Apple to do this. Be pushed to do the very best it can.

If Apple could sit on a pile of lawsuits so that no-one else could make anything else even remotely like an iPhone in any way (like a Samsung, an HTC etc etc) and you think in that world Apple would try as hard, then I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken.

It's strong competition that drives the industry forward, and no matter what brand you prefer to own, it's good for every single consumer for specs and prices.

The real fanboys dream of a world ruled by Steve and where Apple is the only company in existence. They don't want competition.

 

[shigzeo]

Both companies play dirty, but Samsung are dirty. I lived right by one of their research centres in Seoul. Here's a picture of how they recycle. (In case you can't tell, this comment is tongue-in-cheek. This is a bus stop.)

The trash? That's how S. Korea does business in everything. I worked with a number of companies (although the software companies were different) and that is how every single one worked: they looked at contracts, and how to break them.

Samsung are the largest conglomerate in the world. Their mobile division is a pittance in comparison to everything - so is their electronics division. They will have no effect from this lawsuit and probably can freaking rend Apple a new one - in that Samsung work on a completely different legal plane than Apple.

As for design, just look at Samsung cars. They are direct copies of Nissan's. Ten years ago, they were direct Mercedes Benz cars.

And no one can stop them. Let's put it this way: Samsung account for 20% of S. Korea's export economy and since the 1950's have been given special dispensation from the government in S. Korea. They put politicians in place. S.K. annual paycheques are on average much less than USD 20 000$ for employees who have worked more than 5 years at full-time jobs.

Out of uni, they get about 6-7000$ USD. They pay heavily at the top and nothing at the bottom, and NO, it is NOT cheaper to live in S.K. compared to the states. It is MORE expensive.

How do they keep this up? Corporations like Samsung who have been allowed to grow so large that they own everything in the country. Hell, they are even allowed to sell illegal DVD/CD's openly at their supermarkets. The only people who get in trouble with the police are people who protest. That is the reason the cops even exist.

There is no way that Samsung will ever fall when the government of the country is owned by Samsung and Hyundai (who's former CEO now runs the country as President).

A lookalike lawsuit is something Samsung have undoubtedly had to deal with before and will deal with again. They are used to it and will get through it unscathed.

Apple, however, will tarnish their image in this lawsuit. Samsung, well, they have no image to ruin. They are the good foreign company to everyone in America and Europe. They are a cute manufacturer of TV's and phones.

There is no good guy in this suit. Apple are playing this IP stuff nastily and set a dangerous precedence for every company out there, big or small. But root for Samsung (even in this stupid lawsuit) and you're rooting for a corporate dictatorship, full stop.

 

[SandynJosh]

Agreed. And to be quite honest, the Apple design isn't that brilliant either. It's just a grid of icons.

It isn't whether Apple's design is best or not, Apple has registered their product dress and Samsung, who could have used a different layout or icon colors and icon designs, just photocopied the apple design look.

The Herman Miller Aeron chair has a patented design look. No one can make a chair that is too similar. There is a line where a design by company B is too much like company A. The Apple Samsung suit is about whether that line was crossed...Apple thinks "yes" and Samsung thinks "no".

Having read Apple's suit, I think Apple has a strong case, but in the whole scheme of things, my opinion, as all other opinions on this thread, doesn't mean squat.

 

[ShiningShiny]

Both companies play dirty, but Samsung are dirty. I lived right by one of their research centres in Seoul. Here's a picture of how they recycle. (In case you can't tell, this comment is tongue-in-cheek. This is a bus stop.)

Image

The trash? That's how S. Korea does business in everything. I worked with a number of companies (although the software companies were different) and that is how every single one worked: they looked at contracts, and how to break them.

Samsung are the largest conglomerate in the world. Their mobile division is a pittance in comparison to everything - so is their electronics division. They will have no effect from this lawsuit and probably can freaking rend Apple a new one - in that Samsung work on a completely different legal plane than Apple.

As for design, just look at Samsung cars. They are direct copies of Nissan's. Ten years ago, they were direct Mercedes Benz cars.

And no one can stop them. Let's put it this way: Samsung account for 20% of S. Korea's export economy and since the 1950's have been given special dispensation from the government in S. Korea. They put politicians in place. S.K. annual paycheques are on average much less than USD 20 000$ for employees who have worked more than 5 years at full-time jobs.

Out of uni, they get about 6-7000$ USD. They pay heavily at the top and nothing at the bottom, and NO, it is NOT cheaper to live in S.K. compared to the states. It is MORE expensive.

How do they keep this up? Corporations like Samsung who have been allowed to grow so large that they own everything in the country. Hell, they are even allowed to sell illegal DVD/CD's openly at their supermarkets. The only people who get in trouble with the police are people who protest. That is the reason the cops even exist.

There is no way that Samsung will ever fall when the government of the country is owned by Samsung and Hyundai (who's former CEO now runs the country as President).

A lookalike lawsuit is something Samsung have undoubtedly had to deal with before and will deal with again. They are used to it and will get through it unscathed.

Apple, however, will tarnish their image in this lawsuit. Samsung, well, they have no image to ruin. They are the good foreign company to everyone in America and Europe. They are a cute manufacturer of TV's and phones.

There is no good guy in this suit. Apple are playing this IP stuff nastily and set a dangerous precedence for every company out there, big or small. But root for Samsung (even in this stupid lawsuit) and you're rooting for a corporate dictatorship, full stop.

Littering, not recycling. South Korea is one of the best recycling countries in the world.

http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/02/19/korea-excells-at-recycling-koreans-unaware/
(or just Google "south Korea recycle")

I don't disagree with your post as far as the other stuff, just wanted to stop unnecessary misinformation about the country itself >.<

Anyways, now the real question is how will this influence the whole iPhone 4S vs. Galaxy SII battle? I was kind of in the middle up till now, but I am slightly starting to tip towards the iPhone 4S... Maybe that's exactly what this lawsuit is supposed to make me do though lol

 

[lilo777]

Both companies play dirty, but Samsung are dirty. I lived right by one of their research centres in Seoul. Here's a picture of how they recycle. (In case you can't tell, this comment is tongue-in-cheek. This is a bus stop.)

Image

The trash? That's how S. Korea does business in everything. I worked with a number of companies (although the software companies were different) and that is how every single one worked: they looked at contracts, and how to break them.

Samsung are the largest conglomerate in the world. Their mobile division is a pittance in comparison to everything - so is their electronics division. They will have no effect from this lawsuit and probably can freaking rend Apple a new one - in that Samsung work on a completely different legal plane than Apple.

As for design, just look at Samsung cars. They are direct copies of Nissan's. Ten years ago, they were direct Mercedes Benz cars.

And no one can stop them. Let's put it this way: Samsung account for 20% of S. Korea's export economy and since the 1950's have been given special dispensation from the government in S. Korea. They put politicians in place. S.K. annual paycheques are on average much less than USD 20 000$ for employees who have worked more than 5 years at full-time jobs.

Out of uni, they get about 6-7000$ USD. They pay heavily at the top and nothing at the bottom, and NO, it is NOT cheaper to live in S.K. compared to the states. It is MORE expensive.

How do they keep this up? Corporations like Samsung who have been allowed to grow so large that they own everything in the country. Hell, they are even allowed to sell illegal DVD/CD's openly at their supermarkets. The only people who get in trouble with the police are people who protest. That is the reason the cops even exist.

There is no way that Samsung will ever fall when the government of the country is owned by Samsung and Hyundai (who's former CEO now runs the country as President).

A lookalike lawsuit is something Samsung have undoubtedly had to deal with before and will deal with again. They are used to it and will get through it unscathed.

Apple, however, will tarnish their image in this lawsuit. Samsung, well, they have no image to ruin. They are the good foreign company to everyone in America and Europe. They are a cute manufacturer of TV's and phones.

There is no good guy in this suit. Apple are playing this IP stuff nastily and set a dangerous precedence for every company out there, big or small. But root for Samsung (even in this stupid lawsuit) and you're rooting for a corporate dictatorship, full stop.

And this is how misinformation may spread. Did you know that Samsung cars were made by "Renault Samsung Motors"? Renault owns 70% of the company. Renault also holds a 43.4% stake in Nissan. So, this is one big auto concern and Samsung copies Nissan cars officially and legally. Nobody is going to sue Samsung for this (maybe Apple?)

 

[Bilbo63]

The LG KE850 is the Prada. An unofficial leaked photo of the KE850 showed up on tech rumour sites three weeks before Apple officially took the wraps off of the final version of the iPhone (January 9, 2007). The iPhone shipped in the US on June 9th as it required FCC approval and Apple being secretive (paranoid) didn't want to send the FCC the device until it had been officially announced publicly.

An official LG press release showing nothing more than an image of the KE850 appeared on January 18, 2007. So far, I have been unable to locate any firm actual ship dates on the device, but a second, revised version shipped in October. I'm still trying to find the article where I originally read it, but evidently the UI changed on the second version to more closely resemble the UI of the iPhone. I'm still looking.

It is pretty obvious that both companies were heading in similar directions at the same time. Clearly LG must have had a spy in Apple's labs! (Kidding!) Comparing both devices in photos and video footage, today's touch screen phones easily resemble the iPhone over the KE850 in both appearance, UI and functionality, but the KE850 looked pretty decent.

So... I still have not seen proof of anything like the iPhone that clearly pre-dates it. Again, I'm not claiming that Apple invents everything cool and I'm not saying Apple does no wrong. I further agree that it is entirely possible for competing companies to be working on similar projects at the same time. That said I still maintain that todays smart phones very closely resemble Apple's iPhone over anything else.

 

[SandynJosh]

Again, if you go outside the media hype on this story, you can see this isn't going to be an easy win for Apple. And the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 is only 1 model of Samsung Galaxy S line-up, the other phones are quite different and if you mistake them for iPhones, I have bad news for you : bla bla bla...

So please guys, again, go beyond the Apple cherry picked evidence pictures go and try to look at this objectively. This isn't the blatant copying it's made out to be.

If you read Apple's suit, especially the points relating to trade dress, and then go back and look at your photos, you will begin to see what points relating to copying Apple's trade dress, Apple is suing over. Then you will realize how ignorant you are relating to Apple's suit. You have no idea what Apple is claiming is being infringed upon.

 

[AidenShaw]

That said I still maintain that todays smart phones very closely resemble Apple's iPhone over anything else.

And a BMW resembles a Yugo or a Trabant.

Should Trabant sue BMW for copying their designs?

Apple's legal team needs to spend a weekend offsite with some very good marijuana (and probably some window pane), just to readjust their priorities.

They're touch-screen phones - it's obvious that UI design will converge on something that works.

Where would we be if the "steering wheel" had been patented by Ford, so that GM cars had to use tillers, Chrysler used foot pedals, Ramblers used a joystick and most foreign cars were banned for patent infringement?

 

[rhuber]

I still have trouble understanding what the references are to all the iPhone similarities. I mean I get that they are using app icons, which of course they did get from iphone, but all androids have been using those since day one. That picture showing the samsung and the iphone side by side is showing iPhone's main interface, but that's not the samsung's main interface... it's just the app drawer where all the app icons are displayed. The interface looks more like the HTC and other andriod's, which bear little or no resemblance to iphone.

Is it because when you open the android app drawer, it displays in a grid like iphone? The only thing I could find that looks different from any other android is the music player icon, which I admit is a pretty close copy of apple's itunes logo.

 

[Bilbo63]

And a BMW resembles a Yugo or a Trabant.

Should Trabant sue BMW for copying their designs?

Apple's legal team needs to spend a weekend offsite with some very good marijuana (and probably some window pane), just to readjust their priorities.

They're touch-screen phones - it's obvious that UI design will converge on something that works.

Where would we be if the "steering wheel" had been patented by Ford, so that GM cars had to use tillers, Chrysler used foot pedals, Ramblers used a joystick and most foreign cars were banned for patent infringement?

I'm not even touching cars, I don't really see that as a good comparison, but that's just me. Besides many of them look alike to me. I don't even know what a Trabant is, but I think I'll go look it up for fun.

Just keep criticizing Apple if that's your hobby. They'll continue to do good work, lead the industry, get copied by others while getting no respect at all from some of you. Some things never change.

Apple wasn't the first to do a tablet, they were just the first to do one right. Magically everyone and their dog is attempting to make a tablet now, and oddly enough, they all (edit – nearly all)resemble Apple's tablet.

I'm not saying that everyone has to love everything Apple (because I don't), but they are one of the few companies that really innovate.

 

[Michael Scrip]

The LG KE850 is the Prada. An unofficial leaked photo of the KE850 showed up on tech rumour sites three weeks before Apple officially took the wraps off of the final version of the iPhone (January 9, 2007). The iPhone shipped in the US on June 9th as it required FCC approval and Apple being secretive (paranoid) didn't want to send the FCC the device until it had been officially announced publicly.

I don't really remember the LG Prada. The pictures I've found show a primitive looking phone from 2007. The only comparison to the iPhone is that it's a touchscreen phone that has icons.

The issue between Apple and Samsung is not the grid of icons that all touchscreen phones have... it's about the icons themselves and other elements that look strikingly similar to iOS. Plus, packaging and other trade dress infringement that might confuse the consumer.

Apple believes that Samsung designed TouchWiz to look and feel as much like iOS as possible, and then marketed it as such.

There are plenty of other touchscreen phones that manage to look different... so the argument that 2 companies can end up in the same place doesn't really work.

The iPhone has basically looked the same since its launch in 2007... and when did TouchWiz come out?

Samsung clearly didn't try hard enough...

 

[SandynJosh]

I still have trouble understanding what the references are to all the iPhone similarities. I mean I get that they are using app icons, which of course they did get from iphone, but all androids have been using those since day one. That picture showing the samsung and the iphone side by side is showing iPhone's main interface, but that's not the samsung's main interface... it's just the app drawer where all the app icons are displayed. The interface looks more like the HTC and other andriod's, which bear little or no resemblance to iphone.

Is it because when you open the android app drawer, it displays in a grid like iphone? The only thing I could find that looks different from any other android is the music player icon, which I admit is a pretty close copy of apple's itunes logo.

...and you are having trouble BECAUSE you haven't read Apple's suit which is available on this board. You are confused because you don't know what the suit is about other then what you've read second-hand from a lot of posters who haven't a clue as well. Don;t add to the confusion.

 

[shigzeo]

If you read Apple's suit, especially the points relating to trade dress, and then go back and look at your photos, you will begin to see what points relating to copying Apple's trade dress, Apple is suing over. Then you will realize how ignorant you are relating to Apple's suit. You have no idea what Apple is claiming is being infringed upon.

Yes, Renault owns the current iteration of Samsung, or most of it. In the 1990's that wasn't the game.

Recycling: recycling is one thing but if no one carries shopping bags, everyone throws everything out, and nothing is re-used, you have a lop-sided recycling system.

That is S. Korea. They report that they are the best at everything and if you look a little further, you find that the numbers don't add up. Their recycling system is wonk, for sure as nothing is reused at all. Germany and Sweden are way waaaay better; things go and get cleaned, not remade from factory.

As for Samsung quality, it is crap. I don't know about TV's and other cute stuff sold in America, but our washers/range/gas - everything broke all the time!

 

[rhuber]

...and you are having trouble BECAUSE you haven't read Apple's suit which is available on this board. You are confused because you don't know what the suit is about other then what you've read second-hand from a lot of posters who haven't a clue as well. Don;t add to the confusion.

Crap man... I was asking a question. What's wrong with you?

 

[Joker2206]

There was an article in certain magazine in my country which stated:"Companies denying Apple" and it had a list of companies (phone manufacturers) who actually did not want to be the one that people will say: They have copied a design (or functionality) from Apple.
This companies are also on the top of the list of the worst companies considering earnings and their scale is going down.

Now, every company took something that Apple already had in iphone who wanted to stay in the game. My second HTC was HD2 and it was first capacitive screen with multitouch from HTC.
I wonder how much time would they need unless people whined about those things in HTC (and other companies) phones.
That is not patented by Apple, but still they figured it out that it could be great thing to have in phone much much earlier then any other phone.

Considering lawsuit and patents, Porsche had to reject name Porsche 901 because Peugeot has "patented" all cars that have 0 in the middle of car model name...206, 207, 407, etc.... Silly, isn't it...but it's protected by law.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Is it me or does the Samsung Galaxy S look like a really cheap knock-off of the iPhone?

 

[skinned66]

If having a "grid of icons" in a phone UI is Apple's exclusive IP and is patented, then someone in the patent office needs to be taken outside and shot. Then resuscitated, healed, then shot again. Followed by a strongly worded letter.

I dare say this should have happened a long, long time ago. Way before this dispute.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Those are perhaps the worst comparisons of "design copying" I've ever seen.

It shows consistent stealing from the same designer (Dieter Rams).
And the stealing is being done by Jonathan Ive, the Apple design guru...

 

[Fukui]

Apple's legal team needs to spend a weekend offsite with some very good marijuana (and probably some window pane), just to readjust their priorities.

LOL. Yes.

 

[KnightWRX]

If you read Apple's suit, especially the points relating to trade dress, and then go back and look at your photos, you will begin to see what points relating to copying Apple's trade dress, Apple is suing over. Then you will realize how ignorant you are relating to Apple's suit. You have no idea what Apple is claiming is being infringed upon.

Hum, they are suing over the Grid of icons, over the bezel, over the rounded corners on the phone and many other claims that simply don't make sense. These are part of the design patent claims of the suit and some trade dress.

The icons themselves are the trademark claims. Apple has trademarked their icons. There's very notable differences (and similarities) between the Samsung icons and the actual trademarks, which kdarling made a pleasure of pointing out in an other thread on the topic. I wouldn't want to steal his thunder by rehashing the points.

This lawsuit is quite large. Have you read it yourself ? I've addressed a few points of it in my own posts. Again, I believe this can go either way. Also, it's worth noting that Apple doesn't have to win all claims nor does Samsung have to lose against them all. Each claim will have its own verdict and so it stands on its own merit.

There is nothing wrong with discussing a few of the claims individually instead of having to discuss the whole suit as one unique entity.

 

[the8thark]

There is no good guy in this suit. Apple are playing this IP stuff nastily and set a dangerous precedence for every company out there, big or small. But root for Samsung (even in this stupid lawsuit) and you're rooting for a corporate dictatorship, full stop.

I have to agree. But you can't rid the world of a dictator by playing nice. You need to take it to them. Get them scared. Put yourself on the line. Do everything in your power then then some to rid the world of this evil menace.

People are thing this in the middle east and Africa now to rid themselves of their political dictators. And now the world needs to make a stand against this economic dictator.

This always reminds me of Al Capone. He and his mob killed many people. Bootlegged lots of grog. And pretty much untouchable on these crimes. But some little oversight like tax fraud (could not really declare his income was as a mob leader) did him in.

My point is Apple will never get Samaung on their main crimes. They are too big and the world is much to apathetic towards them. But find something else not as important to pin on them and if you're lucky the courts might punish them more cause of their other untouchable crimes.

Just like Al Capone. Did he deserve the sentence he got for tax fraud? On it's own no. But the courts gave him the harshest sentence they could cause they knew it's stop all his other crimes.

In short I don't care what brings Samsung down. As long as it stops them from practicing their other crimes.

 

[BLACKFRIDAY]

Is it me or does the Samsung Galaxy S look like a really cheap knock-off of the iPhone?

It no where looks cheap. It's just that their touchWiz looks really ugly and should be replaced with something good.