Samsung says it will drag iPhone 5 into legal war

The phone maker plans to add Apple's recently unveiled iPhone 5 to its list of accused products, according to a report from Reuters.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News

Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.

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Roger Cheng

Sept. 20, 2012 4:47 a.m. PT

It appears that Apple's iPhone 5 isn't going to escape the ongoing legal battle with Samsung Electronics.

Samsung said it would add the recently unveiled smartphone -- which has already seen record pre-sale figures and which will hit stores tomorrow -- to a list of products accused of violating its patents, according to Reuters, citing U.S. court documents.

Samsung confirmed to CNET that it would pursue the iPhone 5.

Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models. Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device.

The two companies are in the midst of a bitter legal war over intellectual property. Apple recently scored a big victory over Samsung in a Federal court in San Jose, Calif., but the two companies have several existing lawsuits going on in different countries around the world.

Hands-on with the sharp, slim iPhone 5 (pictures)

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Samsung has already taken its case to consumers; the South Korean conglomerate released an ad yesterday slamming the iPhone 5 and people waiting in line for Apple products.

Analysts, meahwhile, believe that the iPhone 5 could be poised for record sales spurred by pent-up demand from consumers who skipped the last refresh, the iPhone 4S.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment, and we'll update the story when the company responds.

Below is the filing from Samsung:

Samsung filing