The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has said it will investigate claims made by Apple Inc. that Samsung Electronics is violating multiple patents held by Apple. The iPhone-maker has accused Samsung of shamelessly cloning its products.
Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets run Google's Android operating system. Apple filed a complaint with the ITC seeking an injunction against the import of the devices it says infringe its patented technology. Samsung made a similar request to block the import of iPhones and iPads a week before.
The dispute between both of the tech giants has strained an otherwise lucrative business relationship. Apple was Samsung's biggest customer in 2010, providing business worth $5.7 billion throughout the year.
The market for smartphones and tablet PCs is jammed full of patent-related litigation as all the major tech firms look to stake their claim to a piece of the growing pie.
Written by: James Delahunty @ 3 Aug 2011 20:56
