The global struggle for patent domination continues between Samsung and Apple -- and things still aren't looking good for Samsung. Today, Germany's Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court extended a preliminary sales injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 to all of the European Union, widening an earlier ruling that banned the tablet in Germany alone.
The injunction is a result of Apple's claim that the Galaxy Tab's construction infringes upon a design patent held by Apple. Similar claims were rejected in Britain -- often in amusing and humiliating fashion for both parties involved -- but resulted in a preliminary Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban in the United States.
Speaking of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the High Court's ruling wasn't all bad news for Samsung; the court upheld an earlier decision that the tweaked "Galaxy Tab 10.1N" differs enough from Apple's design that it isn't eligible for a pre-trial injunction.
These preliminary injunctions and non-injunctions are just the warm up before the big dance, however. The proper trial has yet to actually begin. In the full-blown German case, Apple is alleging that five separate Samsung tablets infringe upon its design patents, while a separate case brought by Apple targets 10 Samsung phones for various software infringements.
Via Information Week and FOSS Patents
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