Apple, Samsung Kerfuffle Continues In New Lawsuit

In a lawsuit filed in South Korea, Apple claims that Samsung copied its products, the AFP reported. This new lawsuit, the second in the past three months, is the latest battle in Apple's and Samsung's international war.

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

In a statement, Apple Korea said that there is "no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging."

Apple' statement added: "This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

Meanwhile, Samsung, which has previously filed a lawsuit against Apple, said that it plans to fight. "We will continue to actively defend and protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communication business," Samsung said in a statement, according to several reports.

Apple first filed suit against Samsung in April, claiming that Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets bear too close a resemblance Apple's iPhone and iPad. That patent infringement suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, also said that Samsung infringed on Apple's trademark and engaged in unfair competition.

"It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging," an Apple spokesperson said at the time. "This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple's intellectual property when companies steal our ideas."

That same month, Samsung filed a lawsuit of its own in Seoul, claiming five patent infringements by Apple. Samsung also filed actions separate actions claiming five other infringements in Tokyo and Germany.

The litigation spree comes as Apple's iPad looks to maintain its tablet supremacy over the Google Android-based Samsung Galaxy Tab and myriad other tablet-makers gunning for the top spot in that growing market.

Apple is no stranger to suing to maintain its dominance in the mobile device market where the iPhone and iPad reign supreme. Last year, Apple sued HTC for allegedly infringing on its patents for the iPhone's touch-screen user interface. And last November, Apple took Motorola to task over multi-touch patents in Android smartphones.