Apple granted preliminary injunction, Samsung barred from selling Galaxy Tab 10.1 in most of European Union

According to the German news agency, dpa, Apple has been granted its motion for a preliminary injunction against Samsung, resulting in the Galaxy Tab 10.1 being barred for sale in all European Union nations with the exception of the Netherlands. (Apple has a separate injunction awaiting ruling in the Netherlands.)

This injunction relates only to the design of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which Apple alleges "blatantly imitate the appearance of Apple’s products to capitalize on Apple’s success".

Apple had previously filed trade dress as well as patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung, calling them a "copyist". However, this is still early days. The preliminary injunction may not become permanent, Apple and Samsung may come to a settlement, or Samsung may alter the design of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in order to no longer be found infringing.

More as this develops.

[dpa via FOSS Patents]

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.