Samsung aims to block Apple iPhone sales in France and Italy
Already coping with a lukewarm reception for its new iPhone 4S , Apple has now learned that Samsung is seeking to block the sale of the phone in France and Italy.
The South Korean company said it will file court injunctions in both countries. Samsung alleges patent infringement of wireless telecommunications technology.
"Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology, and we will steadfastly protect our intellectual property," said Samsung, the No 2 smartphone firm, in a statement. The technology that Samsung says Apple is infringing "is essential to the reliable functioning of telecom networks and devices" according to the South Korean firm. It says the alleged violations are "too severe and the iPhone 4S should be barred from sales." At the iPhone 4S launch in California the day before, a notable feature of the phone was said to be the inclusion of Apple's dual-core A5 chip - built by Samsung. The preliminary injunctions will be filed in Paris and Milan. Samsung said it plans similar legal moves in other countries "after further review." The companies have had their share of spats. In April Apple went to law claiming Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers copied the iPhone and iPad. Apple has won injunctions against Samsung products in the Netherlands and Germany stopping sales and is seeking one in Australia. Samsung has asked a court in the Netherlands to stop Apple from selling iPhones and iPads there. Meanwhile after its "underwhelming" launch, more attention is being paid to one potentially revolutionary new feature of the iPhone 4S: its Siri voice-recognition technology. The San Jose Mercury News enthused: "Siri can take dictation, check your calendar and schedule appointments, read text messages aloud, check stock quotes and even find a great nearby restaurant." Just press down on the device's home button and talk to it just as you would to a human, using simple language. "Voice recognition has been a staple of science fiction for decades and has been in development for almost as long," says the writer. " What is new -- and revolutionary -- about Siri is just how mature the technology has become. We're finally at a stage where interacting with a computing device primarily with your voice is a real possibility."