Samsung Galaxy Nexus banned in the US: Is Galaxy S3 on Apple radar?

A judge in the US has banned Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US. Many wonder if Galaxy S3 is on Apple radar to get it banned as well

In another lawsuit win against Samsung, Apple has managed to get the sales of Galaxy Nexus banned in the U.S. Accusing on four patent infringements, Apple had filed a suit against the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich handset in the country. The U.S District Court of Northern California placed a ban over the sales of the device in response to the Apple suit. The South Korean tech maker will no longer be able to ship its much-touted Galaxy Nexus (third Google Nexus phone) in the market, as a result.

Delivering the judgment, Judge Lucy Koh stated that the Galaxy Nexus likely infringes on multiple patents owned by the Cupertino based tech giant. “Apple has clearly shown that it is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary injunctive relief,” says the Judge. Lucy Koh ordered the iPhone maker to post $96 million bond, an estimated damage for Samsung from the ban of Nexus. If Apple fails in a later trail to Samsung, it should go the Galaxy maker. The court has ordered that the ban will be effective soon after Apple posts the bond.
The ban over Galaxy Nexus comes days after the same judge placed a ban over the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the same reason of copyright infringement. Apple and Samsung have been engaged in several lawsuits in Europe, North America and Asia since last year. Apple used to file suits against the Korean tech maker as part of its strategy to win over the Android gadgets. A few months back, Apple could make a series of wins in lawsuits against Samsung in the Europe and Australia. But, in countersuits from Samsung, most bans were removed.

“Samsung and Apple have been embroiled in multiple lawsuits in Asia, North America and Europe since April 2011 when Apple accused Samsung of copying its iPhone and iPad. Samsung shot back with claims that Apple is using its mobile technology without permission,” says the Guardian. Well, the major tech companies try to beat other companies by hook or by crook. But, Apple used to file suits against all its major rivals including Motorola, HTC and others. The company has recently been facing serious challenge from Android product manufacturers. Both its iPhone and iPad have strong rivals in the Android line today.

As per the famous patent blogger Florian Mueller, Apple has passed only one patent, i.e. unified search, also called “Siri patent.” That is, the argument of the company regarding four patents is not valid under the U.S. rules. “With respect to the other three patents at issue in this context – slide-to-unlock, data tapping and autocorrect – Judge Koh was not convinced that those features drive consumer demand and that Samsung’s likely infringement causes irreparable harm,” Mueller writes in his blog.

Apple filed its suit against the Nexus in February 2012. The company also had plans to sue the new Galaxy S III as well. With a goal to delay sales of the new S III, Apple wanted to file a suit against it. But it decided against that move after Judge Koh stated that she would have to postpone another Samsung/Apple trial to consider it. Anyway, Mueller thinks “if Apple moved for a preliminary injunction against the S III now over the Siri patent, it would be very likely to win.”

Galaxy Nexus is the first handset to get the Ice Cream Sandwich update. Samsung launched the device late last year as the third Google Nexus phone. The company is now working along with Google to face the legal issues especially when the patent in question is Android’s unified search function, Samsung says. “We are currently working closely with Google to resolve this matter, as the patent in question concerns Google’s unified search function,” says Nam Ki-yung of Samsung.

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Posted by admin on July 1, 2012. Filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry