As we all know by now, Apple and Samsung are in a patent battle. A month ago, it was reported that Steve Jobs was said to have contacted Samsung in July of 2010, initiating negotiations between the two companies regarding the patent disputes. The effort proved to be unsuccessful, which caused Apple to file mutiple patent lawsuits against Samsung.
At present, Apple is seeking an injunction against Samsung preventing the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Samsung agreed to delay the device’s launch several times as the injunction was considered by the court. The company even proposed a deal to Apple that would allow Samsung to launch its delayed Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Unsurprisingly, Apple rejected that offer from Samsung which would have allowed the company to release its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia.
Today, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Justice Annabelle Bennett ruled on Thursday that Apple had presented sufficient evidence of alleged infringement by Samsung on two of its touchscreen and multitouch related patents to issue a preliminary injunction. The suit will proceed a full hearing, but even if Samsung prevails, the company will have lost valuable time in the tablet market.
Justice Annabelle Bennett today said Apple had a prima facie case that Samsung had infringed two of its patents relating to touch screens and the gestures that control them.
In a statement, Samsung Electronics said it was disappointed with the ruling and would be seeking legal advice on its options.
“Samsung will continue its legal proceeding against Apple’s claim in order to ensure our innovative products remain available to consumers,” it said.
“This is a part of our ongoing legal proceeding against Apple’s claim. Samsung is also confident it can prove Apple’s violation of Samsung’s wireless technology patents through a cross-claim filed on September 16, 2011 with the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales.
Apple has previously won an injunction blocking the sale of the Galaxy Tab in Germany. Honestly, if you ask me, Samsung isn’t copying Apple at all. Nope, not at all.
