Samsung Galaxy Tab Blocked In Australia By CourtsSamsung Galaxy Tab Blocked In Australia By Courts

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Apple has notched a victory against rival Samsung in Australia. Thursday an Australian court issued an injunction that will prevent Samsung from selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the Land Down Under.

The injunction will remain in effect until the completion of a trial, which isn't scheduled to take place until some point in 2012. This means Samsung will be unable to sell the tablet until after the critical holiday season, leaving it with little choice of what to do with the device.

The company will likely cancel the tablet's release in Australia entirely. It said that the significant delay in its release would cause it to be obsolete by the time in could be sold in Australia, as it would be dated by newer products.

But Samsung vowed to fight on.

[Samsung's calling in the big dogs to bolster support to fight Apple's patent suits. See Samsung, Microsoft Ink Patent Deal.]

"Samsung will continue its legal proceeding against Apple's claim in order to ensure our innovative products remain available to consumers. This is a part of our ongoing legal proceeding against Apple's claim," the company said in a statement.

"Samsung is also confident it can prove Apple's violation of Samsung's wireless technology patents through a cross-claim filed on September 16, 2011 with the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales. Our wireless standard patents are essential for mobile business. We will continue to legally assert our intellectual property rights against those who violate Samsung's patents and free ride on our technology."

Apple said, "It's no coincidence that Samsung's latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging."

The court has, however, left Samsung with a little wiggle room. The two companies will return to the courtroom Friday to assess whether or not Samsung will be allowed to sell a modified version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung had offered a settlement with Apple, saying it would remove the offending features. Apple declined to accept the settlement.

Samsung has successfully used this strategy in Europe. It will be allowed to resume sales of several Galaxy S smartphones, thanks to software adjustments it will make to its devices.