Apple: Samsung Is Blatantly Copying Us

Apple served Samsung with a lawsuit in the United States of America and now it's doing the same in Samsung's home country of South Korea.

According to a report from newswire service AFP, Apple has filed a similar lawsuit to the one it has in America against Samsung in the company's home country. The lawsuit states Samsung copied Apple's products. Specifically, Apple said its rival's phone, the Samsung Galaxy S, is a replica of the third-generation iPhone. It also alleges Samsung's Galaxy Tab is a replica of the iPad.

We have filed a lawsuit against Samsung with the Seoul Central District Court, Steve Park, a spokesman for Apple Korea said to Dow Jones Newswires.

In a statement, Apple Korea said it did not think it was a coincidence that Samsung's latest products look like the iPhone and iPad from hardware to the user interface and the packaging as well. Apple said Samsung is blatantly copying it and it has to protect its intellectual properties.

We will continue to actively defend and protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communication business, the company said in a statement.

In the original American complaint and lawsuit from Apple, the Cupertino based company accused Samsung of slavishly copying Apple's design. Apple named Samsung Electronics, Samsung America and Samsung Telecommunications America as defendants and cited the Galaxy Tab and Epic 4G, Captivate, Indulge, Nexus S and Galaxy S 4G smartphones as examples of copied devices.

Samsung countered that with a lawsuit of its own declaring five patent infringements Apple made on its products. It also requested to see future versions of the iPad and iPhone, saying it wanted to see them in case it needed to file additional complaints. A U.S. District Judge denied that request since the products had yet to be released.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

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