The global “patent arms wars”

Ah, litigation. Truly the sincerest form of flattery. If you have been following all the IP litigation out there the last few months you know that the most recent battle pits Apple who has gone after Samsung for violating 10 iPhone and iPad-related patents in its Android-based smartphones and Galaxy Tab. And Samsung has countersued, starting off with lawsuits in Europe and Asia, with U.S. based lawsuits about to be filed.

The subtext is obvious. Apple to Samsung: you are an unexpectedly persistent competitor, and we don’t much like that. But for both companies, legal fights are nothing out of the ordinary. Since the beginning of 2008 the tally of U.S. cases in which either side has been a party reads: Samsung 259, Apple 260. And if you are a contract attorney who has been in the document review game long enough you have probably been in a few of these litigations … conflicts checks not withstanding.

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