Samsung have won a bid forcing Apple to surrender private iPhone contracts with Australian telco’s Vodafone, Telstra and Optus in the ongoing bloody battle between the giants. The ruling handed down by Justice Annabelle Bennet in Sydney’s Federal Court today mean that Apple will have to divulge all its secret business terms it has with Ausie telco’s as well as the amount of subsidies being paid, if any.
 Click to enlarge |
Apple vehemently opposed Samsung’s call in court, dismissing it as not in the interests of business.
However, Judge Bennett ruled the details of the contracts were relevant and could help give Samsung a case if it can prove Apple is paid subsidies by carriers for iPhone sales.
This is the latest shock twist in the ongoing battle between tech rivals, Samsung and Apple, with Samsung claiming Apple iPhone infringed its 3G mobile patents after Apple first sued it for patent infringements on iPhone and iPad, claiming Galaxy Tab 10.1, now banned here, is a clone of its cult tablet.
Apple deny all claims, arguing the mobile patents are industry standard.
In Federal court last week, Samsung counsel, Cynthia Cochrane, said her client would need the source code for the iPhone 4S and agreements Apple had with major carriers in Australia in order to make a legal case for a ban before the court.
Apple’s lawyer Andrew Fox dismissed the demands by Samsung as a “fishing expedition” reports Bloomberg.
Apple did however submit to the source code request and surrendered 220 pages of documents to its rival, however, South Korean based Samsung are claiming the documents are insufficient, with legal counsel suggesting foul play.
The case has now been adjourned until a direction hearing on Thursday next but it looks like the damaging battle is to continue for a long time to come.
