Apple, Samsung squabble over dictionary definitions

Apple has sought to debunk claims that it infringed Samsung’s patent on 'data packaging' for 3G networks, arguing that the patented method did not move data more efficiently.

As the firms faced Australia’s Federal Court for the fourth day of hearings Thursday, Apple continued to assert that its implementation of data packaging in the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2 did not correspond to the method outlined in Samsung’s patent.

Justice Annabelle Bennett pushed the Samsung counsel to admit that during this technology lent efficiencies in data transmission relating to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), this was not necessarily the case with other data.

Samsung, reading from the Macquarie dictionary, argued that the word "comprised" meant "contains", seeking to establish that the 3G standard — used by Apple and other hardware manufacturers — necessarily featured its "F"-bit research.

Apple counsel Stephen Burley argued that "comprised" meant "include" or "contained in", illustrating his argument by dropping his pen lid into a glass.