Apple to Samsung: Keep Galaxy S III Mini Out of the U.S. and We Won’t Sue

An interesting bit of maneuvering in the Apple-Samsung patent battle today. Apple has agreed to withdraw patent infringement allegations against the new Galaxy S III Mini following its South Korean rival’s pledge that it will not market the device in the U.S.

“Apple will agree to withdraw without prejudice its request to include the Galaxy S III Mini in this case given Samsung’s representation that it is not making, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing that product into the United States,” Apple said in a filing in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., adding that it would do so only if that withdrawal doesn’t prejudice its “ability later to accuse the Galaxy S III Mini if the factual circumstances change.”

Apple had asked to add the Galaxy S III Mini to its sprawling patent case against Samsung in November, after its legal team managed to buy the device from third-party retailers on Amazon’s U.S. Web site. And while it still remains available there today, Samsung’s assurances that it has no plans to officially sell it in the States seems to have been enough to convince Apple to back off. For the time being, anyway.