Apple is suing Samsung for allegedly infringing on some of Apple's patents — you know, that whole iPhone idea? — and Samsung, in response, is threatening litigation of its own, stating that Apple is allegedly infringing on some of Samsung's wireless technology patents. This sounds typical, but this one is different.
From the outside looking in, it might be acceptable to call Apple and Samsung close partners in the tech industry. Apple has purchased $5.7 billion worth of electronic parts from Samsung in 2010. That is a serious investment that can't be overlooked. Both companies seemingly rely on each other to help feed consumers' interest for new tech products.
But Samsung also competes with Apple in the smart phone and tablet computing arena. Samsung has a slew of Android-powered devices that, indeed, offer similar functionality to what Apple offered with the original iPhone. This awkward situation hasn't come between the two before, as they have been partnered for a long time. That changed this week.
With the threats of litigation comes more litigation, and eventually both companies are going to sue each other for every little patent they think they can. In the end, though, it is likely that both companies will settle out of court.
We can't help but wonder if Apple started this whole thing possibly because Samsung wants to raise prices for electronic components or another similar situation.
