The patent wars between Apple and Samsung that seem to never end have folded the internet with all sorts of allegations from the press and blogs. It is a case of dispute that affects only the users that no longer enjoy their devices and the freedom of having all the best features because of manufacturers taking everything to the court instead of focusing on innovation.
Ericsson is the latest to try and take a shot at Samsung in a legal battle for patents. It seems that Samsung broke several of Ericsson’s and the manufacturer is not prepared to overlook it. The Korean giant has been trying settle the dispute for two years of negotiations to renew existing licenses. They have apparently failed to reach an agreement and it resulted in a lawsuit by Ericsson gains Samsung.
Samsung previously licensed Ericsson’s patents in 2001 and renewed in 2007, while now the licences are no longer active and Ericsson states they’re in need of an agreement renewal. As the negotiation have failed, Ericsson states that Samsung has refused to take a license on FRAND terms. Kasim Alfalahi, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, issued the following statement:
“Ericsson has over 30,000 patents and more than 100 license agreements with all major players in the industry. Ericsson has tried long and hard to amicably come to an agreement with Samsung and to sign a license agreement on FRAND terms. We have turned to litigation as a last resort,”
The dispute will be resolved by the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, USA, where Ericsson’s US headquarters are located.
