Samsung Demands Access to Apple’s iOS 6 Source Code, Apple Says ‘Hell No!’

Samsung is back to their old legal tricks, and has once again demanded access to Apple’s iOS 6 source code, this time in a Korean court. The Korea Times reports, noting Samsung’s argument that they need access to the source code to verify that Apple isn’t violating their patents:

Samsung Electronics claimed Friday it should be able to access Apple’s software source code to confirm whether or not its technology patents were infringed upon in the latest i0S 6 operating system powering iPhones and iPads.

Samsung claims that Apple’s i0S 6 borrowed from one of its software patents without consent.

Apple, of course, had something to say about this, issuing a response that effectively amounts to “Hell no!”

Apple has denied the request of its Korean rival, calling it ridiculous. Both Motorola and Google have also asked for the source code to be supplied but to no avail. 

“It doesn’t’ make any sense. Samsung is saying that we should give up protecting our most important data,’’ court officials recalled Apple lawyers as saying. The court requested Apple to have its software designers and engineers testify, but the American technology giant refused. 

It’s pretty obvious why Apple doesn’t want their competitors taking a lookie-loo at their source code – but Samsung’s argument isn’t completely ridiculous either (albeit that source code would need to be reviewed by legal counsel rather than any actual Samsung employee).

And so the battle rages on.

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.