Google Warned Samsung About Apple Device Copying [Court Documents]

A unredacted copy of Apple’s court brief shows that the technology firm plans to use Samsung’s own words against it. Apple will use conversations held with Google and focus groups to show that the company willfully chose to copy Apple device designs in violation of the tech firms design patents.

In the brief Apple’s lawyers claim:

“Samsung’s documents show the similarity of Samsung’s products is no accident or, as Samsung would have it, a ‘natural evolution.'”

Apple lawyers further add that the copying:

“results from Samsung’s deliberate plan to free-ride on the iPhone’s and iPad’s extraordinary success by copying their iconic designs and intuitive user interface. Apple will rely on Samsung’s own documents, which tell an unambiguous story.”

Google engineers and random focus group members warned Samsung in official documents that the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1 were “too similar” to the iPad and that the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone line “looked like it copied the iPhone too much.

During its design evaluation Samsung learned from users “[a]ll you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it’s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone.”

Samsung executives say they have proof that in 2006 they created internal design documents that showcase their hopes for a better designed smartphone, it wasn’t until six months later that Apple debuted the 1st generation iPhone. Samsung also plans to showcase some internal Apple documents which show that the iPhone hardware was actually originally derived from a prior Sony design.

Do you think Apple has a strong patent case against Samsung?