iPhone 4S Release In Italy & France May Be Shut Down Following Samsung Suit

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The seats aren’t even cold in the Cupertino auditorium where Apple held its big Let’s Talk iPhone show, and already the fallout from same has begun. The crew out at Samsung aren’t taking this at all lightly, and have announced that they intend to file requests for preliminary injunction in both Paris, France  and Milano, Italy to block sales of the device.

The injunctions intend to focus on the 3G aspects of the iPhone 4S, specifically, two patents related to WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, for those of you that don’t speak wireless tech) as it relates to 3G handsets. Basically, Samsung says that the patents in question are “essential to the reliable functioning” of devices, and that Apple’s pretty much stealing their hardware. Harsh words, but words backed up by Samsung’s recently-released press statement which read in part:

Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology. We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.

This is likely an “innovation” related to the other suits Samsung has filed on 3G devices elsewhere, in which Apple is trying to argue that, indeed, the patents are essential to the reliable functioning of devices, sufficiently so that they should be made available for minimum royalty costs to most everybody in the industry, otherwise referred to as FRAND technology.

What exactly will come out of these newest rounds of lawsuit is unclear, as of yet, though by filing the motions ahead of the pre-order dates of October 7th and the buy-on date of October 14th, Samsung may well have thrown a rather crucial punch in the ongoing Apple / Samsung legal battles.

So what do you guys think will come of this? Do you expect to see Apple sales carry on as normal? Or do you think that the injunctions may have an effect and Samsung might have a case worth pursuing after all? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!