Verizon Sides with Samsung in Apple Legal Dispute

From DailyTech: Verizon may be elated to have the iPhone 4 on its network at the present time, but that isn't stopping the U.S. wireless carrier from protecting its interests when it comes to LTE marketing/deployments and Android handsets/tablets.

In early July, Apple filed an injunction calling for an end to U.S. sales of the Infuse 4G, Galaxy S 4G, Droid Charge, and Galaxy Tab 10.1. Three of the patent violations Apple cited claimed that Samsung was copycatting the iPhone's overall design and button location. Another patent inferred that Samsung was infringing on a method of "list scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display" with its Android-based smartphones and tablets.

Verizon has filed for a "friend of the court" petition that, according to FOSS Patents, means Verizon has a vested interest in the outcome of Apple's lawsuit against Samsung. Any negative action taken against Samsung (i.e., removing its Android-based devices from the U.S. market) would harm Verizon's efforts to provide LTE devices for its high-speed network.

Verizon reports that Apple's actions:

Would hinder Verizon Wireless in developing and deploying its next generation high-speed LTE [fourth-generation] network, the job growth dependent on that network, and will undercut key public policy goals, including expansion of America’s access to broadband networks and faster communication with emergency personnel...

An injunction would prohibit some of the newest, most advanced wireless devices sold today and impede the growth of Verizon Wireless’s high-speed 4G network. The accused Samsung devices are among the few products that can access Verizon Wireless's next-generation high speed network and therefore are among the most sought-after devices by early-adopting consumers – a critical market segment in the industry. Verizon Wireless has invested and is investing billions in developing and deploying its next-generation Long Term Evolution ('LTE') 4G network.

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