A U.S. judge has asked Apple and Samsung whether an Apple patent lawsuit over search technology should be put on hold for several months until after an appeals court resolves a separate lawsuit between the two companies," reports "Reuters" (http://tinyurl.com/bklva6o).

At a hearing on Feb. 14 in a San Jose, California, federal court, Koh told attorneys for both companies that a potential resolution of the Apple versus Samsung legal war would cover both lawsuits. Koh asked if the second case should be suspended until after the appeals court ruled on the first.

Apple attorney William Lee said the cases should proceed in parallel as they involve different patents, notes "Reuters." However, Samsung attorney Victoria Maroulis said there was substantial "overlap" between the two proceedings.

This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.