PARIS - A U.S. judge on Tuesday backed Apple Inc's request to stop Samsung Electronics selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the United States, Reuters reported.
The decision issued by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California gives Apple a significant win in the global smartphone and tablet patent wars.
Samsung's Galaxy touchscreen tablets, based on Google's Android operating system, have been going head to head against the iPad especially in Asia, although Android made little dent on the U.S. tablet market. Meanwhile, Microsoft and Google are also preparing tablet offerings.
The Tuesday decision, however, is by no means the last word on
Google’s Android vs. Apple case. The latest injunction against Samsung comes less than a week after a federal judge in Chicago dismissed Apple's patent claims against Google's Motorola Mobility unit.
Expect further scuttlebutt in different territories in months to come.
Judge Koh in San Jose, California, had previously denied Apple's bid for an injunction on the tablet and multiple Galaxy smartphones. However, a federal appeals court instructed Koh to reconsider Apple's request on the tablet.
The court’s order to halt Galxy Tab sales should become effective, according to Reuters, once Apple posts a $2.6 million bond to protect against damages suffered by Samsung if the injunction is later found to have been wrong.
