Samsung Galaxy Tab sales blocked by US court

GlobalPost

US District Judge Lucy Koh backed Apple's request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 on Tuesday, according to CNN.

In her decision, she wrote, "Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products," said CNN.

The decision constitutes a significant win for Apple in the smartphone and tablet patent wars, according to Reuters.

Samsung's Galaxy tablets which use a touch screen and are powered by Google's Android operating system are considered the chief rivals to the iPad, Reuters noted.

Apple claims that Samsung infringed on its design patent for the iPad to make the Samsung tablet, according to BBC.

The sales ban does not apply to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 II, which is the tablet's latest edition, said the BBC.

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Apple will post a $2.6 mill lion bond to compensate Samsung if the ban proves unnecessary after the patent dispute has been decided.

Koh had previously denied Apple's bid for an injunction, but a federal appeals court instructed Koh to reconsider Apple's request, according to Reuters.

PC World noted that the patent refers to the ornamental design of the device, which Koh said is "virtually indistinguishable" from Apple's iPad and iPad 2.

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In a statement, Samsung said, "Apple sought a preliminary injunction of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, based on a single design patent that addressed just one aspect of the product's overall design," according to Reuters. "Should Apple continue to make legal claims based on such a generic design patent, design innovation and progress in the industry could be restricted."

Samsung itself has alleged that Apple infringed on its patents in relation to the way smartphones and tablets connect to the internet, according to the BBC.

According to an IDC report, iPads controlled 54.7 percent of the market for tablets in the fourth quarter of 2011, whereas Samsung controlled 5.8 percent, said Mashable.

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