Samsung seeks Dutch iPhone, iPad sale ban

4:14 PM Dutch, iPhone, Samsung, seeks No Comments

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Samsung asked a Dutch court Monday to slap an injunction on Apple Inc. to prevent it from selling iPhones and iPad tablets in the Netherlands, saying Apple does not have licenses to use 3G mobile technology in the devices.

The legal battle is the latest round in a series of claims and counterclaims of patent breaches by the rival technology heavyweights playing out in courtrooms around the world.

Samsung Electronics Co. lawyer Bas Berghuis told a civil judge at The Hague District Court that Apple "never bothered to ask about licenses" before it started selling 3G-enabled iPhones.

Apple lawyer Rutger Kleemans hit back by accusing Samsung of using the patent dispute to "hold Apple hostage" because of Apple's legal battles accusing Samsung of copying its iPhone and iPad designs.

"It's a holdup," Kleemans said. "Because Apple dared to take action against Samsung's copycat tactics."

Kleemans urged the court to reject the injunction request, saying the patents involved "are not designed to be used as a weapon against Apple."

No date was immediately given for a ruling.

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Earlier this month, a court in Duesseldorf, Germany, ruled that Samsung cannot sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany because its design too closely resembled the iPad2. The ruling only applied to direct sales from the Samsung, meaning distributors who acquire the Tab 10.1 from abroad could resell them in Germany. Samsung said it would appeal that judgment.

Other court battles are taking place in the U.S., South Korea and Australia.

A Samsung executive told The Associated Press last week in Seoul that the South Korean company would be taking a bolder stance in battling Apple in courts.

"We'll be pursuing our rights for this in a more aggressive way from now on," said Lee Younghee, head of global marketing for mobile communications.

Lee said that Samsung holds numerous patents covering wireless telecommunications technology.

"We believe Apple is free riding" on such Samsung patents, Lee said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Geithner seeks to calm fears on Europe

10:11 PM Europe, Fears, Geithner, seeks No Comments

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

CNBC's Steve Liesman discusses some of the key things that Secretary Timothy Geithner will address, including the Fed's plan to buy more securities and economic concerns, such as jobs.

By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer

Amid fresh signs that Europe's financial crisis is spreading, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner on Wednesday sought to calm fears that political leaders there may not be able to contain the global fallout.

"There is no chance that the major countries of Europe will let their institutions be at risk in the eyes of the market. There is not a chance," Geithner told a CNBC investor conference in New York city.

Geithner's remarks came hours after bond rating agency Moody's cut its ratings on two French banks, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole, because of their exposure to Greek debt. The leaders of Greece, France and Germany were scheduled meet again later Wednesday to head off a Greek bond default.

"They are absolutely committed and they have the financial capacity, the economic capacity, to do what it takes to hold this thing together," said Geithner, who was the head of the New York Federal Reserve at the height of the 2008-09 financial crisis and helped craft a plan to prop up major Wall Street banks and stabilize the financial system.

Geithner is headed to a meeting with EU finance ministers Friday to urge them to speed up changes to their bailout fund.

The Treasury Secretary also defended the Obama administration's proposal to fund a $450 billion economic stimulus package in part by raising taxes on the wealthy.

"Nobody likes to see taxes change — their taxes go up. There are no options on the table that are going to be attractive to everybody," Geithner said. "We have to make judgments about how we live within our means."

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