Apple Granted Injunction Barring Sale of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in European Union - MacRumors
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Apple Granted Injunction Barring Sale of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in European Union

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FOSS Patents reports on news out of Germany that Apple has been granted a preliminary injunction barring Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 anywhere in the European Union with the exception of the Netherlands.

Apple alleged that the Galaxy Tab imitates the iPad and infringes on various intellectual property rights owned by Apple. Apple asked the Landgericht (district court) of Düsseldorf, Germany, to order an injunction under which Samsung is threatened with fines of up to EUR 250,000 (US$ 350,000) for each violation or imprisonment of Samsung's management in the event of continued infringement. Those are standard sanctions under German tort law for contempt of a preliminary injunction.

Last week, Samsung agreed to delay the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia in response to Apple's request for a preliminary injunction in that country. Samsung argues that Apple's case in Australia addresses the U.S. version of its tablet device and that it plans to release a version specific for the Australian market, but the company has agreed to provide Apple with samples of the Australian version and has pushed back the device's debut there as the dispute continues to play out.

Top Rated Comments

lukefinch Avatar
lukefinch
191 months ago
I'm an Apple fanboy as much as the next user of this site, but this is bad for the consumer in general.

I think it could be good for consumers, because of this move, ideas won't be stolen and other compainies will be forced to think of new innovative ideas themselves which may result in much better products and more competition.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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BruiserBear
191 months ago
I'm really tired of these patents. Let everyone share/take ideas and make humanity a better place.

That's very easy to say when you haven't invested millions of dollars in designing and testing a new product, only to see another company copy it and release their own version. You wouldn't have such an easy going attitude if that happened to you.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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ultravioletfly
191 months ago
And so it starts. Time for these Asian companies to come up with their own designs.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
Amazing Iceman
191 months ago
I'm really tired of these patents. Let everyone share/take ideas and make humanity a better place.

Really? Imagine that you worked on a new product you invented for years, spent all your savings making it better and suddenly you see your neighbor selling an identical product, because he saw you build it and stole the idea from you. How would you feel???
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeekLawyer Avatar
GeekLawyer
191 months ago
Ouch. Feel the burn, knock-off artists.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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ultravioletfly
191 months ago
I'm really tired of these patents. Let everyone share/take ideas and make humanity a better place.

That would all be well and good, but what motivation would Apple then have to pour billions of $$ into R&D? As long as Sammy and Co. keep waiting for the next Apple product to copy (ex. iPad 2, remember Sammy saw that and scrapped their original 10.1) without spending any of their own cash on R&D, they'll just keep doing it. They need to be punished.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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