Samsung Scheming iPhone 5 Sales Ban

Samsung is reportedly readying a legal pounce on Apple, hoping to surprise the Cupertino company in the post-climactic bliss of the iPhone 5 unveil. According to an unnamed Samsung insider, speaking to the Korea Times, the company's goal is a complete sales ban on the fifth-gen iPhone in Korea, using various wireless patents Samsung holds to do so. "Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here" the senior exec revealed, "Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung's wireless technology related patents."

The Korean firm is apparently confident that Apple will not be able to figure out workarounds to the technology it has patented. "For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents" the insider insists. "We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fight."

That legal fight has recently seen Samsung forced to pull its newest tablet, the Galaxy Tab 7.7, from the demo tables at IFA earlier this month. Meanwhile, a sales injunction is preventing Samsung from offering the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to German customers, though another unnamed executive seems confident that Apple's case will be overturned:

"We are taking different tactics since we are quite confident ... If Samsung wins in Germany that will give us a big breakthrough and so will other envisioned efforts against such products as the iPhone 5" Samsung executive

The litigious leaks are unlikely to convince Apple that Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung's recent, more placatory comments, in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the ongoing legal landscape, are genuine. "Apple is Samsung's biggest customer" Gee-sung pointed out. "Hewlett-Packard (HP), Nokia and Sony were Samsung's previous big clients, however, Apple is now a primary one. From our perspective, we are not entirely happy [about the litigation]."

[via Apple Insider]