Apple targets Google in patent suit

A US judge on Wednesday was considering a request by Apple that would pull Google from the sidelines in a long-running patent war with Samsung over mobile gadgets powered by Android software.

Apple urged a federal court in Silicon Valley to add Android 4.1, referred to by Google as Jelly Bean, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to a patent suit on track for trial next year, according to reports.

The judge took the request under consideration.

Meanwhile, Samsung has countered with a legal move that says Apple's iPhone 5 infringes on patents held by the South Korean electronics giant.

Samsung and Apple have been waging patent wars in an array of countries in an indirect assault on Google's Android software.

In a separate case, a jury in August declared that Samsung should pay Apple $1.049 billion in damages for illegally copying iPhone and iPad features.

Samsung has appealed to a higher court to reverse the jury verdict.