Samsung Electronics said it will file patent-infringement claims in France and Italy to ban the sale of Apple's new iPhone 4S, less than a day after it was unveiled. The company will also file legal cases in other countries to stop the sale of the iPhone 4S after further review, the South Korean maker of Galaxy smartphones and tablets said in a statement.

"Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free-ride on our technology," the South Korean firm said in a statement. "We will steadfastly protect our intellectual property."

Samsung said preliminary injunction requests for a ban on iPhone 4S sales will be filed on Wednesday and each case involves two patent infringements related to its wireless technology.

Samsung and Apple have been battling over patents in courtrooms around the world. The companies are due to meet again in courtrooms in the United States, the Netherlands and South Korea next week.

However, intensifying legal battle with Apple threatens to derail Samsung's telecoms and component businesses. Apple is Samsung's biggest customer, buying mainly chips and displays.

On Tuesday, Apple rejected an offer from Samsung to settle a tablet computer dispute in Australia, possibly killing off the commercial viability of the new Galaxy tablet in that market.

Apple claims that Samsung's Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets copied its iPhone and iPad.

Samsung's latest Galaxy tablets have already been blocked in Germany. So too have some smartphone models in the Netherlands.