Apple wins new injunction against Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
The Galaxy Tab 7.7 at IFA before Samsung was forced to remove all traces of it

Samsung has been forced to remove the newly-unveiled Galaxy Tab 7.7 from its IFA display following a fresh injunction won by Apple against the device.

In the latest humiliating blow for Samsung, a ruling from a Düsseldorf court says that the company cannot sell or promote the Android Honeycomb device in Germany.

With IFA, of course held in Berlin, Samsung is legally obliged to remove all traces of the device and promotional materials from public view.

'Not for sale'

The company had previously labelled the device as being "not for sale in Germany," but that wasn't enough to satisfy the courts nor Apple.

The ruling, which comes following Apple's assertions that Samsung's Galaxy Tab range "blatantly copied" the iPad, will not prevent sales in other parts of Europe.

Samsung spokesperson James Chung told Bloomberg that his company "respects the court's decision" although added that it "severely limits consumer choice in Germany."

The Korean giant has maintained that it will continue to defend its intellectual property, in the face of another embarrassing blow at the hands of Apple's legal eagles.

Banned

Apple briefly had the larger Galaxy Tab 10.1 device banned from sale across Europe shortly after it had made a promising debut as the iPad's leading rival.

The two companies are currently involved in a slew of patent disputes with neither looking to concede any ground, despite Samsung being an important component manufacturer for Apple.

Via: Bloomberg

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.