Reference Auto

Samsung is slowly becoming a potential threat to Apple’s iPad and iPhone and this has probably prompted Apple to take the South Korean major to court by claiming that the Samsung Galaxy series of mobile phones and tablets are “slavishly” copying iPhone and iPad.

It is believed Apple’s devices will dominate the market for the next two-three years after which the share of Apple could fall below 50 per cent.

This suit could be an attempt by Apple, which still has over 80 per cent of the tablet market under grips, to spread some kind of apprehension among Samsung and other rivals so that they go slow on their product launches, especially products that are similar.

If Apple does not try to thwart the growth of other companies in the tablet and smartphones market, it will face serious competition for its products.

This filing of suits in the telecom industry is not new. For instance, Nokia had earlier taken Apple to court over allegations that the American company infringed on patents in products like the iPad and iPhone.

Samsung Galaxy series uses the popular Android operating system of Google and this is a direct competitor to the software Apple uses for its mobile devices.

However, Apple’s claims against Samsung focus on Galaxy’s design features, such as look of its screen icons, the lawsuit said. According to the lawsuit, Samsung infringed upon Apple’s patents and trademarks.

Apple will serve 16 claims against Samsung that include “unjust enrichment, trademark infringement and 10 patent claims.”

Samsung’s tablet and smartphones are almost a lookalike of Apple’s iPad and iPhone and customers may think they are in for a bargain when they compare, say both the iPad and the Galaxy tablet, and choose the Galaxy instead, thinking they are getting a similar product cheaper.

It is true that Samsung hasn’t come up with any original brand such as Sony’s Walkman for instance.

The Korean major has been adept at actually launching similar products of its peers like Apple.

Samsung has identified this lucrative market of tablets and smartphones and is not keen to see Apple walk away with a large chunk of the market.

The global smartphones market could grow by 70 per cent in the next few years and Android phones could capture almost half this space.

Apple has been buying semi-conductors from Samsung and contributed substantially to the South Korean major’s sales.

So, it is unlikely that Samsung will take an aggressive stance, and in fact, the Apple iPad and iPhone “copying” tiff could be sorted out of court for a sum agreed upon by the two gadget giants.