It has been a slow and painful game to watch the legal spat between Apple and Samsung play out down under in the Australian courts – but its seems we do at least have a decision: A Federal Court has granted Apple’s request for an interuim injunction which will prevent Samsung from selling the Galaxy tab 10.1 for the time being.
In response to the court’s decision, Samsung made a statement saying:
We are disappointed with this ruling and Samsung will take all necessary measures including legal action in order to ensure our innovative products are available to consumers.
Samsung also made it clear that their countersuit over a collection of “essential” patents they hold relating to the wireless standards
Apple, obviously happier with the decision has trotted out their usual line saying:
This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.
Whether you side with Apple or Samsung on this one – the result is bad for the Australian consumer who will not have the option to buy the leading Android tablet in the run up to Christmas, and even if Samsung is found not to have infringed at the full trial – the product would likely be obsolete by then.
Moreover, the patents that Apple has managed to defend for this interim injunction are broad enough to be used by the Cupertino-based company to prevent the sale of nearly any Android smartphone or tablet in the Australian market. They are already in court fighting with HTC and Motorola Mobility. Anyone would think Apple invented the smartphone and touchscreen devices, which – as I’ve said on numerous occasions – they did not.