Samsung Fires Back, Sues Apple

After Apple launched a trademark lawsuit against Samsung, it’s the South Korean firm’s turn to sue. Samsung is suing Apple in Seoul, Tokyo, and Germany over patent violations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Korean tech company says Apple—one of its leading buyers of chips and other tech components—has infringed on its patents for energy-efficient data transmission, 3G technology that shaves down the number of data-transmission errors, and a means for using a phone to provide a PC with a wireless connection.

Samsung’s chairman, meanwhile, spoke to reporters about Apple’s lawsuit over the design and interface of some of his company’s devices. “When a nail sticks out, [people] try to pound it down,” he said. The legal battles are complicated by the two firms’ alliance. “We are Samsung's largest customer, and Samsung is a very valued component supplier to us, and I expect the strong relationship will continue,” said Apple COO Tim Cook. But “separately from this, we felt the mobile communication division of Samsung had crossed the line.” (More Apple stories.)