South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Monday it had filed a complaint in France against its US rival Apple for infringement of three mobile phone technology patents in its iPhone and iPad tablet computers.

"The complaint focuses on three technology patents, and not on the design of the tablets," as was the case in a complaint filed in Germany that Apple won last week, a Samsung spokeswoman said.

The complaint was filed before a Paris district court in July and the first hearing is expected in December.

A source familiar with the complaint said it concerns three Samsung patents concerning UMTS, which is one type of so-called third generation mobile phone technology.

The complaint targets Apple's iPhone 3G and 3GS and iPhone4 smartphone models, and first and second-generation iPads that are mobile phone capable, added the source.

Last week a court in Duesseldorf banned Samsung from selling its latest Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in Germany, ruling it had copied Apple's iconic iPad.

Samsung has said it plans to appeal the decision.

In the Netherlands, a court in The Hague banned three Samsung telephone models on August 24 following an Apple suit. Samsung launched a counter-claim, due to be heard by the same court on September 26.

The two firms are also locked in legal battles in Australia, the United States and Asia. Samsung has responded to Apple's accusations by filing suits of its own in Seoul, asking for a ban on sales of the US firm's products in South Korea.

The tussle began in April when Apple filed a suit accusing Samsung of copying its smartphones and tablet computers. Samsung responded with a claim in Seoul alleging five patent infringements by Apple.

Samsung has said its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer has been selling well in France since it hit the market in mid-August.

earlier related report
Boston Globe launches subscription-only website
Washington (AFP) Sept 12, 2011 - The Boston Globe on Monday became the latest major US newspaper to begin charging readers online.

The Boston Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Co., which began charging for full access to the website of its flagship newspaper in March, launched a subscription-only website at BostonGlobe.com.

With print advertising revenue sliding and circulation dropping, newspaper publishers have been looking for ways to earn more money from readers on the Web.

The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., also charges online readers for full access to WSJ.com.

The Boston Globe said a digital-only subscription to BostonGlobe.com will cost $3.99 a week. Home delivery subscribers will receive free access.

The Boston Globe already has a website, Boston.com, which will remain free and currently receives around 6.2 million unique visitors a month.

Boston.com will offer a limited selection of stories from the newspaper along with breaking news, blogs, photo galleries and sports coverage, the newspaper said.

BostonGlobe.com will feature the entire edition of the newspaper as well as breaking news and sports updates and additional video and photography.

"BostonGlobe.com is designed to appeal to users who prefer a deeper reading experience and the full scope of the Globe's journalism, including exclusive reports, in-depth analyses, and a range of commentary," the newspaper said.

"BostonGlobe.com is essentially purely journalistic, and Boston.com is more of a town square where you get news and information, but you can also buy tickets to events and exchange information and opinions with your neighbors," Boston Globe editor Martin Baron told the newspaper.

Baron said he believed readers were prepared to pay for BostonGlobe.com.

"Our research shows that people who go to Boston.com to read the Globe understand that journalism costs money," he said. "They understand that what we do has value, and that it needs to be paid for."

The Times Co., whose holdings include the International Herald Tribune in addition to The Boston Globe and The New York Times and, sought a buyer for the Globe in 2009 but failed to receive bids attractive enough to merit a sale.

The Times Co. bought the Boston Globe for $1.1 billion in 1993 but the value of the newspaper has plummeted since then, along with the fortunes of the US newspaper industry.