Electronics and smart phone giant Samsung said on Friday that it has sued China's telecom major Huawei Technologies for patent infringements in multiple courts in China, Reuters reported.      

This is the latest salvo in the long-drawn patent battle between two of the fiercest smartphone competitors. South Korea-based Samsung Electronics is currently the world's No. 1 smartphone maker, while Huawei is closing in as it stands as the world's No. 3 smartphone manufacturer.

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Samsung has sued Huawei for infringing six of its patents, the company's spokesperson said. The suit was filed in a Beijing court two weeks go. The company has refused to reveal the type of patents it is suing Huawei for infringing. It also did not reveal which other courts in China the lawsuits have been filed.    

"Despite our best efforts to resolve this matter amicably, it has regrettably become necessary to take legal action in order to defend our intellectual property," Samsung told Reuters in a statement.

An intellectual property court in Beijing confirmed the lawsuit on its official Weixin account. The court said Samsung is claiming 161 million Yuan ($24.14 million) from Huawei and a departmental store in Beijing.

The court added that Samsung has demanded that Huawei stops the production and sales of its devices that infringe on its patents, including the Huawei Mate 8 and Honor smart phones.

Responding to reports about the lawsuit, Huawei Technologies said in its official statement that it is yet to receive 'formal complaint' and will defend itself as and when necessary.

"In the absence of a negotiated settlement, litigation is often an efficient way to resolve" intellectual property rights disputes, it said.              

Earlier this year, Huawei sued Samsung in China and the United States, accusing the South Korean tech giant of infringing on its patent for fourth-generation (4G) cellular communications technology and also several operating systems and user interface software.

The Huawei lawsuit was unprecedented as it was the first time that a Chinese smartphone maker had sued Samsung for patent infringement.

TagsSamsung, Huawei, Samsung patent case, Samsung and Huawei