Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
In the latest from the German court where Apple and Samsung are fighting it out over patents, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1N has survived the fray, but the 7.7 model has been hit with a preliminary EU-wide ban.
Last year, the Düsseldorf Regional Court issued a preliminary injunction on sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, as it was deemed to infringe on Apple’s iPad design. Since then, Samsung has issued a redesigned version of the tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab 10.1N, which appeased the German court and was considered distinct enough to avoid infringing Apple’s patents.
Apple appealed this ruling but the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court has upheld the decision.
However, the court has also issued a preliminary ban on the smaller Galaxy Tab 7.7 – and this ban applies across all 27 EU member states.
The fact that a redesign has worked in Samsung’s favour before means there is a chance for the South Korean manufacturer to get around this issue once more, and this may also mean an introduction of the Galaxy Tab 10.1N in the US to work around a preliminary ban on the 10.1 there.
The full trial is still to take place in Germany, where Apple is claiming that 15 of Samsung’s devices infringe on its patents, according to Foss Patents.
