Apple Argues to Add Android Jelly Bean, Samsung Galaxy Note to Lawsuit

Apple argued in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul S. Grewal in San Jose, California, that the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system should be added to an existing lawsuit against Samsung. The company also sought to add the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 to the suit, claiming that it too infringes on Apple's patents.

Apple and Samsung in the scales of justiceJelly Bean is the latest version of Google's Android operating system and has been used on several Samsung mobile devices, as well as the Google Nexus 7, since June. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is a tablet device that includes a stylus, a feature Apple doesn't offer on any of its devices. Sales of the tablet began in the U.S. back in August.

Bloomberg reported that Apple's attorney, Andrew Liao, told the judge that the Galaxy Nexus was the only Jelly Bean device that Apple sought to add to the suit. Liao also mentioned there are 17 devices that can use styli, even if they don't ship with them, that they wanted to add to the complaint.

This effort by Apple to expand the case follows Samsung's own move on October 1 to add the iPhone 5 to its own arguments in the same case.

The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Astute readers will remember that this is the same court that found Samsung guilty of infringement in a separate case under Judge Lucy Koh in August. The jury in that trial awarded Apple US$1.05 billion as a result. 

Judge Grewal did not issue a ruling today, but the judge expressed concern that if he denied these requests there would be a whole new round of lawsuits. This case isn't scheduled to go to trial until 2014.