Samsung seeks US ban on some Ericsson products

South Korea's Samsung Electronics, the world's top-selling smart phone maker, has escalated its patents battle with Swedish rival Ericsson, having sought a sales ban on some Ericsson products in the US.

Samsung has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) accusing Ericsson of breaching seven of its patents.

This follows Ericsson request to the ITC for a US import ban on Samsung products. It had also sued the South Korean firm for patent infringement.

Samsung announced that it had taken the action on Friday. In a statement issued today from Seoul, the company said: "We have sought to negotiate with Ericsson in good faith. However, Ericsson has proven unwilling to continue such negotiations by making unreasonable claims, which it is now trying to enforce in court."

"The accused Ericsson products include telecommunications networking equipment, such as base stations," it added.

The action came after Ericsson earlier in the month filed a complaint with the commission seeking a ban on the import of some of Samsung's wireless products, including devices in its Galaxy range.