Intellectual Property

Samsung Electronics sues Huawei in China for patent infringement

Getty Images

Tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Friday it sued smartphone rival Huawei Technologies for patent infringements through multiple courts in China, escalating a legal conflict between the two companies.

The South Korean firm sued Huawei in a Beijing court for allegedly infringing six of its patents, a spokeswoman said. She did not elaborate on the types of patents involved or on what other Chinese courts were hearing similar allegations.

Huawei in May said it sued Samsung in the United States and China, accusing its rival of infringement on patents for fourth-generation (4G) cellular communications technology, operating systems and user interface software.

Samsung has said it will defend its interests.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.