Samsung has decided not to seek an injunction against the iPhone 4S on home turf following ‘public relations’ concerns. Korean media yesterday reported Samsung has decided against taking further legal action against foe Apple, which would have seen the Korean giant apply to courts to ban iPhone 4S from sale, following its released there last Friday.
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| An iPhone 4S cake baked by Telstra especially for the cult launch. |
It appears the rival Galaxy S II creator is afraid of provoking the ire of Apple fans eager to get their mitts on the device.
However, one of the main telcos, SK Telecom, began selling the device at midnight Friday although it appears just 100 customers placed pre-orders with the South Korean mobile operator for Apple’s latest cult 4S smartphone.
Korea Telecom, another telco, also held a big event for its 8am launch with queues of Koreans lining up for the 4S, according to reports. Samsung’s Galaxy S II was one of the biggest selling smartphones in its native Korea, when launched earlier this year.
“We concluded that we should engage in legal battles with Apple only in the global market, but not in order to gain more market share in Korea,” a senior Samsung executive told The Chosunilbo.
And it looks like Samsung have made a wise move (I mean, who in their right minds would come between Apple fans and their iPhone’s?!).
Apple and Samsung are currently embroiled in a messy legal battle here in Australia over iPhones’s and Galaxy Tab’s, where Samsung is still seeking to ban the device, claiming Apple is infringing on mobile 3G patents.
On Friday last, Samsung was refused access to Apple’s contracts with telcos Telstra, Vodafone and Optus after demanding to view them in order to prove its claim that Apple were being paid subsidies on sales of iPhone here, which it said was crucial to proving its case.
The South Korean’s are also pursuing similar action in France, Italy, and Japan. A Dutch court has already refused Samsung application for injunction against Apple iPhone ban.
