Apple claims Samsung Galaxy Nexus copies iPhone’s slide-to-unlock feature

Apple is warring with Samsung yet again in Germany. The iPhone maker filed another suit against Samsung and this time is arguing that the slide-to-unlock feature on the Galaxy Nexus infringes on an intellectual property right called a “utility model,” patent expert Florian Muller wrote on his website FOSS Patents Friday. Apple reportedly registered the utility model in 2006 and said it wasn’t able to use its utility model against Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus in court yet because the phone is so new. Muller said the court will issue a ruling, a stay, or decide to appoint an expert to help the judges decide if Apple’s utility model is “obvious or non-obvious” on March 16th. Earlier on Friday, a German court cleared Apple of an accusation that it infringed on one of seven Samsung patents.

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