Annabelle Bennett is no stranger to Apple/Samsung litigation -- the Federal Court of Australia judge has had a hand in the companies' disputes for at least the past year. And it would appear that she's grown a bit impatient, following a Samsung move that she's labeled as "just ridiculous." According to a Bloomberg report, the trial began with Samsung's attorney stating that Apple refused to pay a fee to license three patents related to 3G data transmission. Apple's counsel, however, explained that the company did offer to pay, but Samsung refused. Bennett responded by asking "why on earth are these proceedings going ahead?," following up with "why shouldn't I order the parties to mediation?" -- a question she expects to be addressed by the end of the week. There doesn't appear to be any official ruling at this point, though the trial certainly isn't off to a great start for Samsung. Ultimately, the duo may be forced back to the negotiating table, letting Bennett move on to other cases until the next patent rouse.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Judge calls Samsung vs. Apple 3G suit 'ridiculous,' suggests mediation instead originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.