Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned in Australia thanks to Apple lawsuit

Ever since it all started back in April, it has been interesting to watch the legal battles and patent disputes between Apple and its iDevice parts supplier Samsung. Personally, I enjoy it best with a bowl of popcorn on my lap. The latest happening between the two companies happens to be a big win for Apple. The court has granted their request for a temporary injunction to be put on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, which means Samsung will not be able to sell the tablet in the continent down under.

Apple says that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringes three of Apple’s patents and copies the design of its iOS devices. Because of that, Samsung has to delay the tablet in Australia by over two months, which means it will miss the crucial holiday shopping rush. A judge ruled that until the patent wars between Apple and Samsung are resolved in a later trial, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 cannot be sold in Australia.

Samsung will try to see if they can sell a modified version of the tablet (sans the disputed features) and if not, Australians might never see the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in their stores. However, Samsung was able to modify their products in the past, allowing them to be sold in the Netherlands following another dispute with Apple. Either way they will not go down without a fight, they released this statement today:

Samsung will continue its legal proceeding against Apple’s claim in order to ensure our innovative products remain available to customers.

This is part of our ongoing legal proceeding against Apple’s claim. Samsung is also confident it can prove Apple’s violation of Samsung’s wireless technology patents through a cross-claim filed on September 16, 2011 with the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales.

Our wireless standard patents are essential for mobile business. We will continue to legally assert our intellectual property rights against those who violate Samsung’s patents and free ride on our technology.

This isn’t the first country that Samsung’s tablet is banned from. It’s also not allowed in Germany (Europe’s biggest economy). An appeal hearing is expected soon in that case.

Of course, Apple isn’t the only one dishing out requests for injunctions. Last week, Samsung said it would try to ban the iPhone 4S in France and Italy, saying that the company infringes upon Samsung’s 3G patents