Apple has accused Samsung of trying to include "prior art" evidence in the upcoming damages trial in the ongoing patent infringement case, reports "TUAW" (http://tinyurl.com/puuahua).

Last August a jury awarded Apple US$1.05 billion in damages after deciding that Samsung smartphones infringed some Apple patents. However, in July, Judge Lucy Koh lowered the damages award by $450 million. What's more, a trial is scheduled for November in order to determine how much of the remaining $600 million balance should be awarded to Apple.

With the upcoming trial on damages about two months away, Apple late last week filed a motion seeking to preclude Samsung from making any references to "prior art" (or otherwise attacking the validity of Apple's patents) during the upcoming trial, notes "TUAW."

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.