Samsung Adds iPad Mini, 4th Generation iPad And 5th Generation iPod Touch To Patent Lawsuit

Last time we checked in with Apple’s ongoing court battle with Samsung in the upcoming Galaxy Nexus case, which will be tried by the same court that awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages this past summer, Apple was adding the latest Samsung devices to the suit. Now Samsung has responded in kind, adding the iPad mini, 4th generation iPad and 5th generation iPod touch to the mix.

Samsung’s additions shouldn’t come as a surprise; when a judge ruled that Apple was indeed allowed to add Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as it pertains to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as well as the Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy S III to the proceedings, he specifically warned that in granting that alteration, Apple should be prepared for return amendments from Samsung. Specifically, he said that the iPad mini and latest iPad were likely additions. The end of this week, November 23, is the deadline for any new additions to the lawsuit, so the timing on Samsung’s part is not surprising.

Samsung had also previously moved to have the iPhone 5 added to the filing, and that motion was successful. This time around, the basis for adding Apple’s latest devices is the same: Samsung claims they infringe two UMTS wireless patents in the cellular variants, as well as patents related to features both cellular and Wi-Fi versions of Apple’s newest tablets and media player. The patent which affects the iPod touch specifically deals with volume control mechanisms on a portable media playing device.

The deadline for amendments to filings in this case is tomorrow, so theoretically we could still Apple try to sneak in a return shot. But even if nothing else changes in the line-up of devices being tried, this trial isn’t set to be decided until 2014, so there’s still a while to wait before any outcome is forthcoming.