Apple has traditionally shied away from legal action against other companies, an unspoken policy that has become increasingly hard to do as Android-based competitors continue to ape the iOS look and feel. As it turns out, former CEO Steve Jobs personally stepped into the fray in an effort to resolve patent issues with Samsung.
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs personally made contact with executives at Samsung Electronics back in July, 2010 over patent issues that have since exploded into legal battles spread out over four continents. According to newly revealed facts in one such dispute in Australia, Jobs was unsuccessful in his efforts with Samsung.
“Samsung is an important supplier with whom we have a deep relationship,” Apple senior director Richard Lutton testified in a Sydney Federal Court on Friday. “We wanted to give them a chance to do the right thing.”
Lutton’s testimony is part of Apple’s ongoing efforts to block Samsung from selling their Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia, at least until the company’s patent claims there are resolved. Samsung has agreed to delay sales of the tablet in that country until Justice Annabelle Bennett rules on Apple’s request, which is scheduled for next week.
Apple’s complaint stems from the Samsung Galaxy series of smartphones and tablets and their similarities to the company’s own iconic iPhone and iPad products. The dispute is a particularly thorny one for Samsung, given that Apple is the Korean electronics giant’s biggest customer for components -- and likewise, Samsung is Apple’s second largest supplier.
For their part, Samsung has countersued in South Korea, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia claiming that Apple has violated their own patents.
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