T-Mobile Sides With Samsung in Battle With Apple
How long before Samsung announces that the proposed AT&T buyout is just the super best thing ever?
The global fight between Samsung and Apple expanded this morning when it was announced that T-Mobile USA has entered the legal battle on the side of Samsung. In a court filing from Wednesday, September 28, T-Mobile argued against Apple's attempt to block the sale of some Galaxy products in the US. T-Mobile does not appear to be contesting the specifics of Apple's infringement claims against Samsung - the company issued a statement asserting that they "respect intellectual property rights" - however, they called a potential ruling blocking the sale of contested Samsung products a "drastic and extraordinary" measure and argued it would "unnecessarily harm" them and their customers.
Making that case, T-Mobile cited their upcoming holiday advertising which involves copious use of Samsung products (including the Galaxy Tab 10.1), products for which they say they could not locate "comparable replacement products" in time for the 2011 Holiday shopping season. This puts T-Mobile in the same camp as Verizon, who last week made a similar point when they too opposed an attempt to block Samsung sales in the US. Apple remains unmoved by these actions and as in Europe and more recently, Australia, they are pressing forward with their claims.
T-Mobile's show of tepid support for Samsung comes one day after news of Samsung's patent-sharing agreement with Microsoft, itself a blow to Google's Android operating system. Interestingly, AT&T has yet to weigh in on the matter. However, considering that AT&T's attempt to purchase T-Mobile from parent company Deutsche Telekom is currently being challenged in courts by the US Justice Department on grounds that the deal would violate U.S. anti-trust law, T-Mobile's insertion into the Apple/Samsung battle has to be seen in that wider context. If one were inclined to irresponsible, conspiratorial speculations, one might be tempted to scan business news for a statement from Samsung that the AT&T/T-Mobile merger would in fact be of tremendous benefit to consumers, monopoly laws be damned. But, that would be irresponsible and we disavow any such notion.
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N.Broekhuijsen bear95I feel so ecstatic about companies trying to beat down apple!It's like a playground. All the kids were getting along just fine with eachother, until the girl with apples came along. She tried to not only fit in, but look better and superior. Then, when some of the other kids also started looking superior, the girl with apples could not stand the pressure. She exploded in rage, and as a result now she has all the other kids ganging up on her, and resorting to the most childish methods of self-repayal.Reply
YES! I like it too!!!
PLEASE TELECOM COMPANIES OF THE WORLD, UNITE AND DESTROY!!!! -
falchard Honestly, Apple has hit a behive on this one. As a business you don't exactly alienate your partners. Their business is going to be harmed for these actions far more then they realize. You lose the largest panel maker. You lose telecom contracts. Thats their business uprooted from under them.Reply -
tuch92 With all these lawsuits, mergers, and deals it's like technological WWIII. Though in the end you mostly just get a bunch of pissed off people.Reply -
yeaa... iphone 5 is coming out in 11/04. I love apple's ideas about their new products. "SAME OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE" still can fool one more time again only if you are not stupid.Reply
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balev I'm not an Apple fan and I have never used their products (for various reasons, most just how much it is limited) and probably won't for some time unless things change.Reply
However, I don't see a problem with a company that comes up with new ideas and patents them to actually protect those patents. I don't know what all the patents are and if it's just about the shape of a phone then it's probably a bit silly but I'm sure there are other concepts that Apple wants to protect.
I believe all this with the current system... Of course, though, the system (i.e. the economic system) could be a lot better.
The Venus Project is awesome if anyone's heard of it. -
bloodlover balevI'm not an Apple fan and I have never used their products (for various reasons, most just how much it is limited) and probably won't for some time unless things change.However, I don't see a problem with a company that comes up with new ideas and patents them to actually protect those patents. I don't know what all the patents are and if it's just about the shape of a phone then it's probably a bit silly but I'm sure there are other concepts that Apple wants to protect.I believe all this with the current system... Of course, though, the system (i.e. the economic system) could be a lot better.The Venus Project is awesome if anyone's heard of it.Reply
That might be true if Apple actually made something 100% original but their claims are ridiculous. Well I am sure they know it too but maybe all this fuss is not actually about them caring. I always thought that this was in order to delay Samsung so Apple can finally release some direct competitor (Iphone 5?) We'll just see on the 4th of October. -
eddieroolz I'm not so sure how a telecommunications company has any weight in this. Perhaps it really shows how desperate Samsung has become - to accept any form of help by third parties.Reply