Apple Inc. sued Samsung Electronics Co. claiming the South Korean electronics giant copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers.

The lawsuit, filed on April 15 in the Northern District of California, alleged that Samsung's smartphones, such as the "Galaxy S 4G," "Epic 4G," "Nexus S" and its "Galaxy Tab" touchscreen tablet, violated Apple's intellectual property.

"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products," the lawsuit said.

Representatives of Apple and Samsung didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit could complicate the relationship between the two consumer electronics giants. Samsung makes microchips that are used in some Apple products.