Apple granted Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction in Australia

After a long and drawn out legal battle that stretches back to August, Apple has been granted an injunction that will prevent Samsung from launching its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Justice Annabelle Bennett today said that Apple had a ‘prima facie' case that Samsung had infringed two of its patents relating to touchscreen technology. This means that the dispute will go to trial, with a full hearing expected sometime in the new year.

Last week, Samsung offered Apple a settlement that would see the company release a modified version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, Apple turned down the offer, insisting that the modified version would still infringe upon one of its patents. Following Apple's decision, Samsung said that, unless it could launch the tablet in time for the holiday shopping season, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 likely wouldn't make it to Australia at all. The company said that the Christmas season was too important to miss and said the tablet would be ‘dead' by the time it reached the market.

“Samsung will continue its legal proceeding against Apple's claim in order to ensure our innovative products remain available to consumers,” the company told the SMH.

Samsung and Apple have been locked in legal proceedings since April of this year, when Apple accused the South Korean company of ‘slavishly' copying the iPad and iPhone. Samsung in turn counter-sued, alleging that Apple was infringing on some of its mobile patents. The two are engaged in law suits in numerous countries around the world.