Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has slapped a lawsuit on Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC) for "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad in its Galaxy line of phones and tablets, according to AllThingsD. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Northern California, claims that Samsung violated Apple's patents and trademarks by copying the look, product design and the user interface from its line of iProducts. Why this matters
The suit was something of a surprise as Samsung has been selling its Galaxy smartphones and tablet since last fall. Adding to the surprise is the fact that Apple has criticized the Galaxy Tab's smaller form factor and usability in the past, yet alleges in its lawsuit that Samsung copied Apple's own software, hardware, apps and everything in between. It could be that Apple feels threatened by the latest iterations of the Galaxy Tab and the success of the first, or this could become its MO for the rest of its competitors as well. This isn't Apple's first intellectual property lawsuit and, seeing as Apple's iPhone and iPad are the products to which every other handset maker aspires, this isn't likely to be the last one either. (See MWC 2011: Samsung Revisits the Galaxies, OS Watch: Samsung Tabulates a Record Quarter, Apple Sues Moto , Apple Sues HTC and Apple Hits Back at Nokia.) For more
Wireless handset makers are no strangers to lawsuits. Check out the following stories for other legal battles in mobility.

— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile