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Samsung said to be plotting legal action against Apple's iPhone 5 in Europe

Going beyond its home country of South Korea, Samsung may be be looking to ban the sale of Apple's still-unannounced iPhone 5 in Europe as well, according to a new report.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Samsung may seek an injunction against Apple's anticipated fifth-generation iPhone. That person apparently declined to say where Samsung would take legal action, but Maeil Business Newspaper reported that the lawsuit is expected to be filed in Europe.

The latest information comes soon after it was separately reported that Samsung is looking to ban Apple's fifth-generation iPhone after the product arrives in Korea. An anonymous senior executive at the company allegedly said that the company would take Apple to court, raising accusations of patent violations in its home country.

The reports would suggest that Samsung is plotting a global offensive to counter the release of Apple's so-called "iPhone 5," which is expected to be announced and released in the coming weeks. Samsung previously filed a legal request in the U.S. to see Apple's next iPhone, a move that the judge overseeing the case denied.

Rumors of even more legal spats across the globe come as the growing dispute between Apple and Samsung becomes even more complex. Last week, a former Samsung manager admitted to leaking information on the unreleased iPad while working for the company in 2009.

Apple's issues with Samsung are believed to have pushed the iPhone maker away from Samsung, which is a major supplier of components in Apple's portable devices. Specifically, Apple is expected to have its future processors set to power next-generation iPhone and iPad models built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., not Samsung.

The legal patent war between the two rivals began in April when Apple sued Samsung, accusing the company of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. Apple's legal action has led to a handful of victories, including a ban on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany.