Reports that Samsung is suing the Australian Commissioner of Patents in the company's patent fight with Apple have been denied, with the Korean company stating that the Commissioner instead "has been joined" in the case in accordance with Australian law. According to Friday's reports, Samsung had sued the Australian patent commissioner in the latest twist in its intellectual property clash with Apple, in an attempt to invalidate four patents which Apple alleged had been infringed upon by the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.

However, Samsung todya said that the reports were "inaccurate".

"Because of a procedural requirement of Australian law, the Commissioner has been joined in Samsung's invalidity case against Apple in the Australian Federal Court proceedings. Samsung is not making any allegations of wrong-doing against the Commissioner and it is most unlikely that the Commissioner will take any active role in the proceedings. It is therefore inaccurate to state that Samsung has "sued" the Australian Commissioner of Patents," Samsung said in a statement.

The South Korean company added that it was complying with Australian procedural requirements so it could make all possible invalidity arguments against Apple's patents.

Samsung's invalidity case against Apple is not new and has been in progress since Apple first commenced proceedings against Samsung in Australia last year. "Samsung's claim against Apple always has been that Apple's patents should be revoked, and the new procedural aspect of the claim does not change that in any way," Samsung added.

Samsung alleges that the patents should never have been granted as they duplicated earlier intellectual property filings.

A judge will hold a hearing into the matter on 25 June.