Service provider Verizon has asked the U.S. courts to toss out Apple's patent lawsuit against Samsung, saying that it would not be in the best interest of the public to continue the case. Apple is suing Samsung for four phone models that it claims infringe on its patents: the Galaxy S 4G, Infuse 4G, and Droid Charge smartphones, and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.
Verizon has filed an amicus curiae brief (or "friend of the court"), which allows third parties to weigh in on cases. It's commonly used is Supreme Court cases - see Brown v. EMA.
Verizon says that Apple's request for a preliminary injection to halt the sale of the Samsung devices would hurt them and its subscribers.
The company said in its brief that it "would hinder Verizon Wireless in developing and deploying its next generation high-speed LTE network, the job growth dependant on that network, and will undercut key public policy goals, including expansion of Americans' access to broadband networks and faster communication with emergency personnel."
How this will sit with Apple in the grand scheme of things remains to be seen; after all Verizon does support the iPhone too.
Source: Foss Patents by way of GI.biz
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Re: Verizon Intervenes in Apple v. Samsung Patent Case
Big fan of Verizon