Samsung expands patent row with Apple in Germany

Samsung Electronics continued the patent dispute against Apple in Germany, filing new claims in the process. The South Korean consumer electronics behemoth has added a quartet of patents to its current infringement case that is related to the telecommunications standard technology WCDMA where 3G mobile handsets are concerned. The four new complaints will comprise of the use of emoticons, where according to Samsung’s spokesperson, “(Samsung) made four more claims; two are standard-related patents and the other two are utility patents. And a court said it would make these claims separate from the April lawsuit.”

Last Friday, a regional German court in Mannheim did hold a hearing on the April case, touting that a ruling would be announced in early March next year. It would be interesting to see how the new patent claims will develop, and what kind of repercussions there would be worldwide. Just recently, Samsung landed a left hook on Apple’s jaw by winning their suit in Australia as the court Down Under removed a ban on the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy tablet just earlier this month.