An injunction Apple held over Samsung has been lifted so that the electronics firm can commence sales of the Galaxy 10.1 tablet in the European market. Apple had brought the injunction, which was lifted by a German court, after they had complained that their product imitated the iPad so closely that it infringed on their intellectual property rights.
Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis, told VentureBeat, “Samsung is certainly breathing a sigh of relief.”
He added that they should be pleased with the win and is the latest point to be scored in the ongoing media battle between the two. Under the original injunction, Samsung could have faced fines of up to $350,000 for each unit sold whilst the ban was in place. The lifting of the injunction means that every country in the EU is open to sell the tablet once again.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 is one of Android’s best selling tabs and any attempts to stifle its success is a clear jibe against Google’s OS. Their position in the market will be strengthened by their acquisition of Motorola Mobility only two days ago. That deal also means they have acquired a significant catalog of patents that will protect them from any patent trolls that come crawling out. This is in addition to protecting their smart phone business against lawsuits from other cell phone manufacturers that are probably getting pretty jealous of the firm right now.
As for the continued back-and-forth cases between Apple and Samsung, it shouldn’t be long until the next jibe form either side is cast.
