Australian Judge Says Samsung Suit Against Apple Over 3G Patents is 'Ridiculous'

An Australian judge has called Samsung's suit against Apple over 3G patents 'ridiculous' and questions why the dispute wasn't settled in mediation, reports Bloomberg.

In response to Apple's lawsuit claiming that Samsung stole its design for tablets and smartphones, Samsung sued Apple claiming infringement of three patents that cover data transfer over 3G. The trial began today before Australian Federal Court Justice Annabelle Bennett.

Apple refused to pay a license fee for the technology that allows phones to conduct multiple tasks including taking calls while uploading photos to the Internet, Samsung's lawyer Neil Young said at the start of the trial. Apple was willing to pay and Samsung refused, the Cupertino, California-based company's lawyer Stephen Burley said.

"Why on earth are these proceedings going ahead?" Bennett asked the lawyers in court today. "It's just ridiculous." A similar dispute between any other two companies would be immediately ordered to mediation, she said. "Why shouldn't I order the parties to mediation?" she asked.

The judge wants an answer by the end of the week.

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