EU antitrust watchdog to probe Samsung over fair access to mobile patents

Samsung’s legal woes appear to be worsening after the European Union’s antitrust watchdog announced that it suspects the company of denying fair access to patents it holds on standardised technology for mobile phones.
The probe will look into whether Samung illegally prevented competitiors, which includes Apple, from using key patents it holds on mobile phone technologies, despite committing to doing so in 1998.
The EC press release states:

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to assess whether Samsung Electronics has abusively, and in contravention of a commitment it gave to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), used certain of its standard essential patent rights to distort competition in European mobile device markets, in breach of EU antitrust rules. The opening of proceedings means that the Commission will examine the case as a matter of priority. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

However, a spokesman wasn’t able to say whether the patents affect tablet devices, although Samsung had brought suits against the iPad in the past.
We reported in November that Samsung being investigated for possible misuse of fair, reasonable and and non-discriminatory (FRAND) patent licensing. FRAND licenses enable companies to share knowledge across the industry and work to developing open standards and technologies such as 3G or WiFi.
Central to the European Commission’s inquiry was whether FRAND patent holders — which Apple and Samsung both are — can use patents to shut down products. Today’s announcement is a direct response to its earlier investigation.
In September, Samsung reacted aggressively to Apple’s patent complaints by filing four cases in The Netherlands, accusing the Cupertino-based company of infringing patents with its iPhone and iPad products that utilise 3G technology.
Samsung brought summary proceedings in The Hague, where the electronics giant appealed for a Dutch trade and import ban on sales of all Apple smartphones and tablets. The ban was thought to apply to Apple and also five other companies that were affiliated with Apple’s sales and distribution.
We have reached out to Samsung for comment and will update the article when we receive a response.

Samsung loses bid to overturn ban on original Galaxy Tab 10.1 model in Germany

Samsung has failed to overturn a ban on an the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Germany, meaning that the company is still only able to sell an updated version of the device it designed to circumvent Apple’s patents.
Reuters reports that a higher regional court in Duesseldorf, Germany, told Samsung that it cannot sell the older Galaxy Tab 10.1 model in Europe’s biggest economy.
This provides a small victory for Apple against its South Korean rival as it pursues patent complaints against the company in courtrooms across the world.
In September, Apple was successful in an attempt to introduce a sales ban for the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Following the ruling, Samsung appealed and re-modified its product, introducing the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, in order avoid the infringements and gain clearance for sale in Germany.
The modified version, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, has a new bezel design that wraps around to the front of the device more aggressively.
FOSSpatents’ Florian Muller believes it is a minor victory for Apple, given that it is based on Apple’s Community design:

Today’s ruling validates Apple’s decision to bring claims against the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Apple’s actions may have been aggressive, but they weren’t unreasonably overreaching. At the very least, there can be a genuine dispute over this issue. But the strength of Apple’s Community design is increasingly questionable. Just last week, a Dutch appeals court narrowed the scope of that design-related right and did not find Samsung in infringement. I didn’t see a reference to unfair competition law in the Dutch ruling. Apple brought such claims only in Germany, a jurisdiction in which unfair competition law is almost a “catch-all” kind of law that is applicable to a wide variety of commercial issues.

Muller says that Apple isn’t able to replicate the ruling outside of Germany as its laws are unique and that it does not mean that Apple will be able to secure a ban on the 10.1N model. “What matters most is the full-blown main proceeding in which Apple’s design-related claims against a total of 15 Samsung products are at issue. It’s too early to tell what the outcome of that case will be,” Muller adds.
Samsung recently scored a high profile victory in Australia where a ban on the Galaxy tablet was overturned last month, allowing the manufacturer to begin introducing the product in time for the Christmas shopping season.
Samsung u-turned on its intention to try to block sales of the iPhone 4S in its native South Korea, during November, after statements from the firm suggested that it did not want its legal battles with Apple to reflect badly on home turf.
The ongoing global legal spat between the duo took a significant turn with the news that the European Commission, the legislative body of the European Union, is investigating Samsung for a possible abuse of FRAND licensing. The outcome has the potential to force the Korean firm to drop its litigation cases in Europe.
Elsewhere in Europe, Samsung previously saw a sales ban fail in Holland, the country where it was forced to modify three of its Galaxy smartphones for sale after the models were adjudged to have infringed on patents held by Apple.
Other spats continue in the US — where Apple designers will soon begin testifying— and in Italy, as the two mobile giants continue to lock horns over the use of mobile technology patents in their respective smartphones.

Samsung tablets to get even bigger with expected Galaxy Tab 11.6 announcement

Samsung is expected to debut what could be the biggest tablet device on record with the addition of an 11.6-inch portable to its Galaxy Tab range, AndroidAndMe reports.
In a market where smartphones are getting bigger and manufacturers are experimenting with different tablet form factors, Samsung looks to set to raise the bar with a device that is a full inch-and-a-half bigger than other offerings, raising questions as to whether vendors will set a limit to how big they will make them.

Samsung takes a jab at Apple’s iPhone in this new Galaxy S II commercial

Maybe I’m a bit biased, but seeing as I am the owner of both a Samsung Galaxy S II (SGS2) and an iPhone 4S, this new commercial by Samsung tickles my interest in ways that no other smartphone commercial can. How? By combining both phones into one awesome advertisement that is sure to make owners from each side giggle at the stereotypes presented.
In the video below, a line of over-anxious customers apparently waiting for the next iPhone are wrapped around the block, nine hours before the phone actually releases. Surprise. In this line, you’ll find your stereotypical early-bird campers and fanboys, all singing their various praises for the Apple device (though never clearly admitting they’re actually in line for the iPhone — legal reasons, maybe?).
The campers are soon distracted by the impressively-large screen of a mobile user nearby who appears to be watching a video on her phone, the SGS2. More campers are stunned as another passerby carrying the SGS2 pauses to hail a cab, immediately asking to get a closer look at his device.
Basically, it’s a hilarious and clever concept. And not that I enjoy encouraging this sort of thing, but I’d be happy to see Apple come back with an even better and more-creative commercial in return. All in the name of new and innovative marketing campaigns, right? Right. Your move, Apple.
Take a peek for yourself in the video below.

How the Kindle Fire Could Make 7-Inch Tablets Huge

Steve Jobs made it clear what he thought of 7-inch tablets in October 2010. They’re “too small,” and as good as “dead on arrival.” But the announcement of and anticipation surrounding Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet may soon have Jobs eating his words.

If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard the news, Amazon debuted its $200 7-inch tablet, the Kindle Fire, this week. Make no mistake: It’s no iPad. There’s no front-facing or rear-facing camera, and it’s only got 8 GB of storage.