Samsung seeks iPhone 4S sales ban in Japan, Australia

After facing setbacks in Germany and Australia, Samsung is striking back at Apple by filing an injunction request for the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4 and the iPad in Japan. Samsung filed the injunction based on one patent the company holds for HSPA connectivity and three it holds for UI design. The three UI patents cover the airplane icon for airplane mode, aspects of home screen customization and an on-phone method for browsing apps on sale.

Samsung also filed an injunction request in Australia claiming Apple's iOS devices violate three patents it holds for WCDMA and HSPA connectivity. Australia is a hotbed of legal action between the technology giants. After several legal volleys and an attempt by Samsung to reach a compromise, Apple was recently granted an interim injunction against Samsung that bans the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the country. This legal victory is a major setback for Samsung and could cause problems for other Android handset makers as the patents are broad and can extend to other devices.