After successive lawsuits with Apple arguing about the legality of rounded corners, Samsung this week lodged an Australian trade mark for the term ‘Samsung Rounded’.
Dubbed ‘The Battle Of Rounded Corners’ by some media outlets, Samsung has been in various corner-related patent infringement trials against Apple – made more difficult when Apple obtained a US patent on ‘rectangles with rounded corners’ last year. The lawsuits haven’t just been about the rounded corners of products, with one in 2011 based on the rounded corners of mobile application icons.
According to Wikipedia, there were 50 ongoing Samsung vs Apple cases around the world in 2012 (there may be more now), and Samsung may be attempting to protect itself further with the new trade mark in Australia for ‘Samsung Rounded’.
The trade mark application was lodged on September 12 by the Korean headquarters of ‘Samsung Electronics Co’ and an Australian legal representative, Callinans.
The application is for the term ‘Samsung Rounded’, and covers one class across a huge trove of electronic products and services. Summarised:
Class 9: Camcorders; computer and mobile device software to personalize widgets and mobile applications; computer application software for mobile phones, smart phones, portable media players and handheld computers; mobile application software; mobile phone, smart phone and tablet computer accessories; mobile phone and smart phone operating system software; mobile telephones; mp3 players; mp4 players; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs); portable computers; portable media players; smart phones; tablet computer operating system software; tablet computers; telephones; three dimensional (3D) eyeglasses; printing fonts that can be downloaded provided by means of electronic transmission
A search for ‘Samsung Rounded‘ does not appear to bring up any results other than articles/websites about the Apple/Samsung legal disputes. However, it may be the name of an as-yet-unannounced Samsung product or service.
The trade mark application remains at the early status of ‘Filed – Approved’, meaning it has not been seen by an IP examiner.
Click to view a screenshot of Samsung’s ‘Rounded’ trade mark application.
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