Judge Refuses to Lift Ban on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung’s Android tablet Galaxy Tab 10.1 will not be sold in the U.S. until the patent trial between Apple and Samsung, which is scheduled to start July 30, is over.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, has rejected Samsung’s request to lift her June 26 ban on sales of the tablet.

“Samsung is disappointed with the court’s decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today’s ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States,” Samsung said in a statement.

While the preliminary injunction does not affect Samsung’s updated version of the tablet, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 II, the judge’s decision has far-reaching consequences for the South Korean electronics giant.

Days after the decision on Galaxy Tab 10.1, judge Koh granted a preliminary injunction on the sales of Samsung’s Android phone, the Galaxy Nexus. Samsung has appealed the verdict, but after today’s decision there’s no reason to believe that the judge will side with Samsung.

It’s unlikely that these bans will significantly affect Samsung’s overall sales, but Galaxy Nexus is one of the most important products in the company’s portfolio — not to mention the only phone on the market that runs Google’s new version of Android, Jelly Bean.

Apple also filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against Samsung’s flagship phone, the Galaxy S III, in June. If the court once again sides with Apple, it could be a much bigger blow for Samsung. 

Source : mashable.com