Has Apple, by filing so many patent / IPR violation suits against Samsung in so many countries, marked Samsung as its equal?

Update: 02-Jan-2013:

Galen Gruman, in his post on "2012: The year Android truly challenged iOS" says...

"...also reinforced to the public that Samsung was an innovator -- why else would Apple be so intent on destroying it legally? Even though Samsung lost the biggest battle, in many ways, it may have won the war, at least for buyers' hearts..."

Update: 09-May-2012:

Don Reisinger provides 10 reasons why Apple and Samsung are equal. I would like to draw your attention to point (4) Name recognition is vastly important, (6) Samsung has taken the fight to Apple and (7) The patent battles help!

For those of you who read Harry Potter, here is the parallel. Remember the prophecy? …

“…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…”

…and Dumbledore tells Harry that “Voldemort singled you out as the person who would be most dangerous to him — and in doing so, he made you the person who would be most dangerous to him!”

Though, on the one hand Apple has been able to restrict Samsung from selling Galaxy Tab in some of the EU countries, but on the other hand Apple has achieved the following:

(1) In the mind of the customer Samsung is now established as THE competitor for Apple

Read this article titled “Samsung vs. Apple: And the Winner is…” in Forbes and observe the tone! Also note that it is titled Samsung vs. Apple and not Apple vs. Samsung!

(2) Made Samsung management much more aggressive

See this Fox News – “Samsung vs. Apple War Set to Explode”…  (again Samsung vs. Apple and not Apple vs. Samsung!)

“…a top Samsung executive says the company will take a bolder stance in its patent battle with smartphone and tablet rival Apple, which Samsung claims has been “free riding” on its patented wireless technologies…”

Thanks to Apple now Samsung can finally shed the tag of being a South Korean company.

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