Coming off a successful court ruling banning Samsung’s Galaxy Tab in most of Europe, Apple apparently is suing Motorola over the Xoom, Wednesday reports say. However, some warn Apple’s strategy of lawsuits to protect market share carries a costly risk.
Tuesday, a German court ordered a preliminary injunction, banning Samsung from selling the Android-powered Galaxy Tab 10.0 in most of Europe, outside of The Netherlands. This followed a sales injunction against Samsung in Australia, both arguing the tablet infringed upon patents the Cupertino, Calif. company owns. Now comes word Apple has moved its patent dispute with Motorola, maker of the Android-powered Xoom tablet to Europe, as well.
The fallout from the series of court moves was swift. Samsung responded the injunction filed in Germany came about with no notice, no hearing or no opposing evidence from the Galaxy Tab manufacturer. “We will take all necessary measures to ensure Samsung’s innovative mobile communications devices are available to customers and around the world,” the company told CNET Tuesday afternoon.
The comment was reminiscent of those Android’s Google made last week about Apple’s $5 billion purchase, along with Microsoft, of a cache of Nortel patents. “Patents were meant to encourage innovation, but lately they are being used as a weapon to stop it,” said David Drummond, legal chief for the Mountain View, Calif. Internet giant.
Patent experts talking with Reuters also warned Apple is playing a high-risk stalling action to protect market share in burgeoning tablet sales. “Apple has a strategy of filing patents, getting some protection and trying to prevent other people from entering the market in the short-term,” said Nathan Mattock, a patent lawyer in Sydney, Australia. Mattock notes to convert the temporary injunction into a permanent ban, the iPad maker will need to provide more evidence that the Samsung Galaxy Tab does indeed infringe upon the leading tablet.
“So, they aren’t done deals,” Mattock noted. “And if Apple loses, it will owe Samsung a lot of money,” the lawyer warns. If Apple loses, the company will have to pay Samsung for lost business, reports say.
As we’ve reported in the past, patents are becoming a competitive weapon. But like all weapons, most are double-edged.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
26 responses to “After Getting Galaxy Tab Banned In Europe, Apple Takes Aim At Motorola Xoom”
Xoom is a POS tablet compared to the other 3.0 teblets on the market so actually they do a favor for the EU
Most weapons have no edge.
Right… Although I am huge Apple fan (yes, 10+ years and a lot of money spent on Apple gear) I think it’s really getting out of control… They fight patent trolls (Lodsys?) while they do exactly the same thing. What if Ford started patent wars and wanted all car manufacturers to stop selling cars (just because Henry Ford was the first one to actually build the car for masses)? What if ancestors of Wright brothers wanted all airplanes to be grounded?
Dear Apple – time to get a cold shower and focus on quality and innovation of your products and not patent wars.
Apple Eat World
Apple’s crushing Motorola into irrelevance. No matter what these OEM’s do, they’ll never be on par with Apple’s products. They’ll never have their cash & they’ll never have their long-term vision. Just give it up already. I wonder who’s running these companies, the CEO or the media publications the flock to. Motorola should try to figure out how to make some profits in this decade before trying to compete with the likes of Apple! SUCKERS!! lol
good point but 75 years after the death of the original patent owner it becomes public domain
apple you are being ASSHOLES, i wish i could buy an ipad with out the money going to apple
it doesn’t change the fact that Apple seems to be another patent troll.
all android tablets are ripoffs of the ipad, so no wonder this is happening
You can, It’s called the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Lulz, what a bunch a fanboys. Look at you, talking about ripoffs and drolling around with hate towards anything that’s not apple. Have you even bothered to look at specs and cappabilities of those devices and COMPARE them to your precious Ipads? No, cause you believe every single word that Cupertinio feeds you. Good for you flock, good for you :) I am waiting for the “most innovative” company of the world to start producing their own chipsets, CPUs and screens instead of buying them from Samsung :)
lmao. nice.
you’re funny.
Thank you Apple for again trying to stifle competition. It will only be your undoing. Enjoy the limelight while you still can. You too will fall as Rome did. :)