Lenovo shrugs off US ruling vs Samsung

Lenovo ThinkPad tablet PHOTO FROM SHOPAP.LENOVO.COM

Chinese tech firm Lenovo is unfazed by the recent US court ruling that found Samsung of copying Apple Inc. devices—a decision that would set the South Korean firm back at least $1.05 billion in damages.

Dillon Ye of Lenovo said manufacturers selling devices running on Google’s Android operating system (OS) should be able to find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition to avoid a costly patent war with rivals.

“We believe that Google has its partners shielded. Google already has major patents that can differentiate Android from (Apple) iOS,” said Ye at a briefing with reporters last week.

He issued the statement shortly after a California court ruled that Samsung violated intellectual property laws and copied devices made by Apple.

A Federal jury held Samsung liable for $1.05 billion in damages. The ruling could also lead to a ban on key Samsung devices from being offered in the United States, the world’s most lucrative market for gadgets.

But Ye said it would be unlikely that the US ruling would have any effect in any market outside North America.

“It will have very little effect on us,” Ye said. “Our phones also have their unique features that no one else has.”

These features include “Smart Sound,” a proprietary audio technology where users get to enjoy high sound quality without the use of external speakers or headphones.

Another key feature, Ye said, was the Lenovo Safety Center. Not yet available outside of China, the application protects a user’s mobile device from external threats like viruses and malware.

This year, Lenovo became the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in China, trailing behind Samsung.—Paolo G. Montecillo