In what could be a blow to Samsung with respect to profiting from the Christmas season, an Australian court has temporarily banned the sale of the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the country.
The move is a victory for consumer electronics giant Apple, which has accused Samsung of copying its touchscreen technology for the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The federal court ruled Samsung had a case to answer on at least two of Apple’s patents, Firstpost reported. The ban applies on sales of Samsung’s Galaxy 10.1 tablet until the same court rules on the core patent issue.
Samsung can appeal the temporary ban within 14 days of the release of the written judgment, due on Friday, 14 October.
Apple and Samsung have been waging patent battles in several countries since April, with each company accusing the other of patent infringements.
Apple has also won a legal battle in Germany, where the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been banned. An appeal hearing is expected in that case.
Last week, shortly after the launch of the Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung said it would try to stop the sale of the smartphone in France and Italy, claiming Apple infringed 3G transmission patents.