Samsung backtracks on seeking iPhone 4S sales ban in Korea
Samsung has apparently backtracked on its bid to block sales of Apple's latest smartphone on its own turf in South Korea, after the company confirmed to local media it would not take legal action against the Cupertino-based giant in the country.
The Korean smartphone giant said last month that it would put forward a legal case, with its sights set on a sales ban of the iPhone 4S in the region.
A senior Samsung executive was reported to have said, speaking to a Korean newspaper:
"We concluded that we should engage in legal battles with Apple only in the global market, but not in order to gain more market share in Korea."
Though this move suggests that Samsung does not want to target Apple in its own country for fear of negative publicity, it continues to battle a series of patent claims, alleging Apple infringed patents that Samsung owned.
The company has not outwardly said anything about its legal cases against Apple for sales ban in two European countries, Australia and Japan.
Samsung said that it continues to co-operate fully with the European authorities. But should the European Commission find that Samsung has broken EU law, it could result in the company to drop its patent claims against Apple in Europe, and fined up to 10 percent of its global turnover.
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