Claiming that the South Korean electronic giant's mobile phones and tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, copy the iPhone and the iPad, Apple has filed a lawsuit against Samsung.
The website of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California shows that Apple filed the case against Samsung in San Francisco on March 15 but the complaint itself has not yet been entered in the electronic data base.
The Wall Street Journal obtained a copy of the 38-page document that said Apple is accusing Samsung of copying the look, product design, packaging and the user interface of its products.
Apple is claiming Samsung has violated various Apple patents and trademarks.
"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smartphone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products," the Journal quoted Apple's complaint as saying.
Samsung's tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, has been the best-selling rival to Apple's iPad, which has dominated the growing market for the touchscreen devices.
There was no immediate reply from Samsung for a request for comment about the Apple lawsuit.
Patent lawsuits are a regular occurrence among technology giants in the United States and Apple is currently embroiled in disputes with Finland's Nokia, Taiwan's HTC and U.S. handset maker Motorola among others.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011
