UPDATED 12:47 EDT / JULY 28 2011

ITC Sides with Samsung, Agrees To Appeal Case Against Apple

Here’s a recap: Apple sued Samsung for patent infringement on its device design, so Samsung retaliated by hitting Apple back with infringement suits as well.   But the two companies are still in business, as Samsung still supplies vital parts for Apple devices. The relationship may soon come to an end, as Apple is looking into tapping the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for their next generation ‘A6’ chips in 2012.

(Whew!)

Which brings us to the present, as the U.S. International Trade Commission announced on Wednesday that it will investigate Samsung’s patent infringement claims that have been levied against Apple.

That the ITC has agreed to investigate the case doesn’t mean much in and of itself, as the commission pursues a formal review of nearly every high-profile complaint it receives. Final decisions from the commission are typically issued within 16 to 18 months.

The ITC said Wednesday that its determination will come at ‘the earliest practicable time,’ and promised that it will set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days after it has begun.  The case will be assigned to one of the ITC’s five administrative law judges, who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The judge will then make an initial determination, and that determination will be subject to review by the full commission.

So the battle between these two giants is far from over as these types of cases tend to stretch for months, and sometimes even years.

And on related news about the two companies, they’re also pushing for solar powered devices.  Samsung may be in the lead here, as they already embrace the power of the sun with their Blue Earth, Crest Solar, their recently released Android-powered Replenish, as well as their soon to be released NC215S, a 10-inch Netbook that has a solar panel on the lid.  Over the years, Apple applied for solar patents but has not yet incorporated them into their devices.  Maybe they’re just waiting for the right moment to unveil their ultimate weapon to topple all the competition.  That sounds like an Apple thing to do.


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