Samsung Used 'Apple Watch' Pics In Patent

A tit-for-tat tussle between Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) and Samsung for tech supremacy has taken a bizarre twist - with Samsung filing for a smartphone patent apparently using images of the Apple Watch.

The two tech giants have battled each other in the courts and in the media over claims they've stolen ideas from each other.

Now (NYSE: DNOW - news) a Samsung patent for a "wearable device" appears to have used illustrations that look just like Apple's smartwatch.

The patent application was filed in January and published this week.

The illustrations are described in the application as "views illustrating diverse shapes, structures, and materials of a first strap portion or a second strap portion in a wearable device".

The application shows six black and white sketches of what is supposed to be Samsung's watch - but seems to instead show the square display of the Apple Watch.

Neither Samsung nor Apple have so far commented.

The two firms have been battling since 2011 for alleged infringements of patents, designs and trademarked appearance.

In 2012, a jury in California found that Samsung had infringed three of Apple's design patents for the iPhone.

Samsung has appealed that $1bn case to the Supreme Court.

This week several major designers filed a brief with the Supreme Court backing Apple over Samsung.

The Apple Watch has more than 70% of the smartwatch market, according to some analysts, with Samsung coming in second with less than 10%.