Apple Sues Samsung in Korea Over Galaxy S & Tab Design

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Apple and Samsung have been in patent disputes for quite some time now, having exchanged lawsuits over the disputed design elements in both companies’ smartphone and tablet offerings. Now, Apple is suing Samsung right in Samsung’s Korean homeland.

Reports say that Apple has filed a patent lawsuit in South Korea’s Seoul Central District Court, and while details were not made available to the public there are speculations that the lawsuit is likely to be related to Samsung’s design and packaging for their Galaxy S smartphone and Galaxy Tab Android tablet. Apple won’t say if the most recent patent lawsuits filed in South Korea were related to the past disputes, although Samsung has stressed that it will defend its intellectual properties actively.

Apple has been claiming that Samsung is intentionally copying the product and packaging designs of the iPhone and iPad, with the intent of deceiving customers. Samsung has filed counterclaims both in Korea and the US, particularly with regard to Apple’s alleged use of certain HSPA and WCDMA technologies that Samsung owns.

Most recently, Samsung asked the courts to make Apple share unreleased iPhone 5 and iPad 3 reference designs for scrutiny, but the courts ruled in favor of Apple. Now Apple is suing Samsung at its homecourt. Will Samsung get an advantage  here?