Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd (LON:BC94) added iPhone 5 to its existing patent infringement case against Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in the latest filing submitted to the United States Federal Court in the Northern District of California on Monday, according to a report from Businessweek.
In a statement, the Samsung said, “We have always preferred to compete in the marketplace with our innovative products, rather than in courtrooms. However, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition. Under these circumstances, we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights.”
The inclusion of the iPhone 5 would heighten the ongoing global patent infringement battle between the two leading smartphone manufacturers.
South Korean company previously indicated its plan to include the iPhone 5 to the ongoing patent infringement case against the Cupertino-based smartphone maker. Samsung evaluated the iPhone 5 before adding it to the lawsuit.
According to Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, Samsung believed that the iPhone 5 violated eight of its patents already identified in the lawsuit.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh lifted the sales ban on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Koh cited that the basis for the injunction is no longer valid since the jury ruled that Samsung did not violate the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s D880 design patent.
Samsung expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision in lifting the sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1. The South Korean company said, “We are pleased with the court’s action today, which vindicates our position that there was no infringement of Apple’s design patent and that an injunction was not called for.”
Last August, the Federal Jury found that some Samsung’s products violated Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s patents and ordered the company to pay $1.05 billion damages.
