Samsung has apparently chosen a new corporate strategy regarding mobile device design, one that would prevent any further lawsuits with Apple.

Meanwhile, Apple has secured a new patent that may lead to a new round of lawsuits against most of the Android devices available on the market today. Join us for another weekly edition of Law & Apple.

Apple vs. Samsung

According to a report from ITProPortal, Samsung has come to the realization that, when developing new mobile devices, it might be best to avoid getting sued by Apple. The strategy Samsung has devised to achieve this goal is revolutionary: stop making devices that look like Apple devices or infringe on Apple patents. Sounds easy enough.

"Now we will avoid everything we can and take patents very seriously," said president of Samsung’s mobile division, Shin Jong-kyun.

Cool story, bro.

According to the Inquirer, Samsung's upcoming smartphone release, the Galaxy Nexus, does not resemble any Apple device or infringe on Apple patents. "We will see if (the Galaxy Nexus) will be 100 percent free [from lawsuits]," said Jong-kyun. "I don't think there is much gain (from lawsuits with Apple). What we are losing is the pride in our brand."

Apple Secures Important Patent

Yesterday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted a patent to Apple for the “Slide to Unlock” feature popular on so many smartphones.

According to 9to5mac, the feature was a big part of the orignal iPhone launch in 2007, and iOS chief Scott Forstall is credited as one of the inventors. The patent application for the feature was originally filed in December 2005, over a year before the iPhone launched.

Neonode N1m slide to unlock. Outsite of the reality distortion field, it existed in 2004. 

Apple could choose to pursue licensing agreements with smartphone manufacturers currently employing this feature or could also use this patent to pursue legal action. If litigation ends up being the chosen course, it will be up to the courts to either uphold the patent or dismiss it due to prior art -- such as the Neonode N1m, which came out in 2004, and was the very device referenced by a Dutch court when denying Apple a similar patent.