Apple Blocks Sales of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe
Apple scored a devastating blow in its IP tussle with Samsung today when a German court granted it a preliminary injunction against the Korean company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.
Issued by the Regional Court of Düsseldorf, the injunction prohibits the sale and importation of the Galaxy 10.1 throughout the European Union except for the Netherlands on the grounds that it infringes the iPad’s design (here’s the original complaint in German). The decision carries with it the threat of fines of up to $350,000 for each violation and potential jail time for Samsung’s leadership if the infringement continues.
Apple confirmed the ruling, but declined to issue a new comment on it, referring me back to an earlier statement: “It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging. This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”
UPDATE: Samsung issued the following statement on the ruling, claiming it was taken unawares by it.
Samsung is disappointed with the court’s decision and we intend to act immediately to defend our intellectual property rights through the ongoing legal proceedings in Germany and will continue to actively defend these rights throughout the world. The request for injunction was filed with no notice to Samsung, and the order was issued without any hearing or presentation of evidence from Samsung. We will take all necessary measures to ensure Samsung’s innovative mobile communications devices are available to customers in Europe and around the world.This decision by the court in Germany in no way influences other legal proceedings filed with the courts in Europe and elsewhere.