Samsung Electronics has asked a U.S. court to force Apple Inc to hand over its next-generation models of the iPhone and iPad in the latest volley in a series of patent infringement suits between the two technology companies.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh ordered Samsung to give Apple copies of several models of its Galaxy mobile phones and tablets, as well as other products.

It would put Samsung at a significant disadvantage in this litigation if the Court allowed Apple access to Samsung's future products ... but prevented Samsung from gaining access to Apple's future products so that it could prepare its defense, Samsung argued in a motion filed on Friday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Apple sued Samsung last month, claiming Samsung's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets slavishly copies the iPhone and iPad. Samsung followed with its own lawsuit, alleging that Apple was the company doing the copying. [nN28231826]

Apple was Samsung's second-biggest customer last year, mostly for semiconductors. The iPhone maker's claims against Samsung focus on Galaxy's design features, such as the look of its screen icons.

Samsung declined to comment, and Apple could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.

Apple and Samsung are part of a wider web of litigation among phone makers and software firms over who owns the patents used in smartphones and tablets as rivals aggressively rush into a market jump-started by Apple with its iPhone and iPad.

Samsung is one of the fastest-growing smartphone makers and has emerged as Apple's strongest competitor in the booming tablet market with models in three sizes. But it remains a distant second in the space.

Samsung's Galaxy products use Google's Android operating system, which directly competes with Apple's mobile software.

(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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