That’s the sound of a wet towel snapping someone on the leg. And that’s just the kind of sting Samsung must be feeling today as U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction that stops it from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the U.S., because it infringes on Apple’s intellectual property (read: it looks a heck of a lot like and iPad). The injunction came late Tuesday afternoon. Koh had previously denied the injunction, but a federal appeals court asked her to reconsider.
“Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products,” Koh wrote on Tuesday, adding the order should become effective once Apple posts a $2.6 million bond to protect against damages suffered by Samsung if the injunction is later found to have been wrong.
This may not be the Patent Wars’ version of Bull Run or Shiloh, but Apple has definitely scored a victory here. The injunction doesn’t affect Samsung’s newest tablet offering, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 II, which was just introduced last month.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
