Apple Failed to Add Galaxy S4 to Latest Samsung Patent Lawsuit

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has refused Apple's requests to add the flagship Galaxy S4 to its patent lawsuit against Samsung. Yesterday Judge Paul S. Grewal claimed that adding a new device to the lawsuit would fly in the face of Judge Lucy Koh's previous order to minimize the scope of the case. "Each time these two parties appear in the courtroom, they consume considerable amounts of the court's time and energy," he wrote, "which takes time away from other parties who also require and are entitled to the court's attention." [caption id="attachment_3466" align="alignnone" width="300"][]1 Apple Failed to Add Galaxy S4 to Latest Samsung Patent Lawsuit[/caption] This is Apple's second US case against Samsung after winning against them in the lawsuit last August. Apple asked for the court to add the latest Galaxy S4 and drop its requirements against another Samsung device in May. Apple argued that the S4 showed an obvious threat to Apple's patent. But Judge Grewal denied the request. Judges have been pretty impatient with Apple and Samsung's legal suits in the past years, and the Obama administration has vowed to crack down on patent trolls. So it's a bad time to persuade a court to change or expand the scope of patent lawsuits. "Judge Koh has been explicit with both parties that this case must be streamlined, which requires reducing the number of products and patents at issue — not increasing them," wrote Judge Grewal. "The number of products may be the same, but as the court described, the potential disputes revolving around the Galaxy S4 are greater than whatever product it will replace because of its late addition." He added that since the Galaxy S4 was just announced not long ago, it would be difficult to get information about users’ options, sales, and marketing efforts. Apple has claimed that if they are not being able to add the Galaxy S4 this time, then they would bring another patent lawsuit. Judge Grewal, however, said that both he and Koh haven’t been persuaded by this argument. "Apple already needs to dismiss without prejudice several devices from this case and so a new trial would be likely ignored," he wrote.

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