Apple sues Samsung in the UK over Android

Apple has sued Samsung in the UK courts, further expanding the myriad countries in which it has taken legal action against the Korean manufacturer over its Android products.

The suit was filed on Monday, Samsung told ZDNet UK, explaining that it was a countersuit against action Samsung filed with the High Court in June. Details of both suits remain sketchy, as the patents in question have not been identified in these cases.

Apple's UK action against Samsung takes to at least 20 the total number of patent suits between the two companies that are currently underway. Apple says Samsung's Android smartphones and tablets infringe on Apple patents, while Samsung says Apple's products, such as the iPhone, infringe on Samsung's patents.

Apple is also engaged in High Court battle with HTC, another major Android device manufacturer.

Separately, Samsung has lodged an appeal in Germany against a ban on the sale of some of its Galaxy Tab tablets there. A Duesseldorf district court upheld that ban on Friday, and a spokesman for that district court told ZDNet UK that Samsung has now appealed to a higher court, also based in Duesseldorf.

In late August, US court filings listed 19 various Samsung-Apple litigations that are underway. Some have seen provisional rulings against Samsung — such as the Duesseldorf case — but, in chronological order, they are:

15/4/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Case No. 5:11-cv-1846) (North District of California)

21/4/2011: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. Apple Japan, Inc. (Tokyo District Court, Japan – JP Pat. No. 4642898 - 2011 (Yo) No. 22027)

21/4/2011: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. Apple Japan, Inc. (Tokyo District Court, Japan – JP Pat. No. 4299270 - 2011 (Yo) No. 22028)

21/4/2011: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. Apple Korea Ltd (Seoul Central District Court, Korea - 2011 Kahap 39552)

21/4/2011: Samsung Electronics GmbH v. Apple, Inc. and Apple GmbH (Mannheim Regional Court, Germany) (7 O 247/11)

17/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Japan Corp. (Tokyo District Court, Japan – JP Pat. No. 4204977 - 2011 (Yo) No. 22048)

17/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Japan Corp. (Tokyo District Court, Japan – JP Pat. No. 4743919 - 2011 (Yo) No. 22049)

17/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics GmbH (Mannheim Regional Court, Germany) (7 O 166/11)

17/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Seoul Central District Court, Korea - No. 2011 Gahap 63647)

27/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Court of Justice, the Hague, Netherlands) (KG 11-730)

27/6/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Court of Justice, the Hague, Netherlands) (KG 11-731)

28/6/2011 In the Matter of Certain Mobile Electronic Devices (ITC Case Samsung v. Apple 337-TA-794)

29/6/2011: Samsung Elec. Co. Ltd. et al. v. Apple Inc. (District of Delaware, 11-cv-573-LPS)

29/6/2011: Samsung Electronics Italia s.p.a. v. la Apple Inc. (Tribunale Di Milano, Italy)

29/6/2011: Samsung Elec. Co. Ltd. v. Apple Retail UK et al. (UK High Court of Justice Chancery Div. Patents Court HC 11 CO 2180)

5/7/2011: In the Matter of Certain Electronic Digital Media Devices and Components Thereof (ITC Case Apple v. Samsung 337-TA-796)

8/7/2011: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and Samsung Electronics France v. Apple France et al. (Tribunal De Grande Instance De Paris 11/10464)

28/7/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Ltd. Co. (Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales District Registry, General Division) (NSD1243/2011)

4/8/2011: Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics GmbH (Duesseldorf Regional Court)